Egyptian Nights
by the1koolkitty
Summary: A young prince trapped in the power his title commands... and a street rat with a newfound power that could help him steal the prince's heart. What story is this...? shonenai Aladdin parody RyouBakura and side YamiYugi and MarikOC
1. Story Time!

**(Yugi and Kitty are sitting together on a picnic blanket in the middle of a sand dune, observing the moon and stars.)**

Yugi: (singing quietly) **_Oh, I_** **_come from a land,_**  
_**From a far away place  
Where the caravan camels roam…  
Where they cut off your ear  
If they don't like your face;  
It's barbaric, but hey, it's home!**_

Kitty: (singing quietly) **_When the wind's from the east,_**  
_**And the sun's from the west,  
And the sand in the glass is right…  
Come on down, stop on by,  
Hop a carpet and fly  
To another Egyptian Night…**_

Both:**_ Egyptian Nights,_**  
_**Like Egyptian days…  
More often than not  
Are hotter than hot  
In a lot of good ways…**_

Yami: (chasing Bakura, past Kitty and Yugi) I'm going to kill you, Tomb Robber!

Bakura: You're never gonna catch me, Pharaoh!

Ryou: (running behind them) Knock it off, you're acting like idiots!

Kitty: (vein popping in her temple) _SHUT UP!_

(Everything stops)

Kitty: We're _trying_ to introduce my next fic here.

Yugi: So you guys can chill out or get off the set, you're getting sand all over Kitty's floor.

Bakura: You built a set full of sand in the middle of your _room_? What the hell are you doing _this_ time, Kitty?

Ryou: (flicks the lights on) Let me guess…another shonen-ai fic?

Kitty: CORRECT-A-MUNDO, RYOU-KUN! My final shonen-ai fic.

Ryou: (frowns) Hmm…a parody of _"Arabian Nights"_…a desert as the scenery…I wonder what _this_ could be a parody of.

Yami: Uh…the Prince of Egypt? (grins hopefully)

Bakura: (sweatdrop) Self-centered git…

Kitty: I _would_, but I thought you had enough fun in Tenshi of Games, Yami-kun. No…it's Aladdin.

Ryou: As I suspected. And what's the pairing? Let's see…Yami/Yugi…Seto/Joey…what are we missing here on the supposed _"Yami-Hikari"_ list?

Bakura: (anxiously) Uh…Marik/Malik?

Kitty: (slaps the Tomb Robber) I'M NEVER , EVER WRITING THAT! Kara–kun would kill me, and besides, I HATE MALIK!

Yugi: No…it's you and your Hikari, Bakura.

Bakura: _WHAT_?

Ryou: _"As I suspected,"_ the sequel. And as my Yami's a thief, I can guess what role _he'll_ be playing in this…

Yami: That cute little furry monkey?

Bakura: THAT'S IT! (jumps on Yami and starts beating him up)

Kitty: (fuming) BAKURA, YOU GET OFF YAMI-KUN RIGHT NOW, OR ELSE I'LL NEVER LET YOU SLEEP WITH LINA AGAIN!

Bakura: (stops and glares at Kitty) I hate you. (jumps off the bleeding and bruised Yami)

Ryou: So Bakura's Aladdin…and I'm…oh no, please don't tell me I'm the girl.

Kitty: You're not; you're Prince Ryou of Agrabah!…who happens to like guys…oh c'mon Ryou, you know you fit the part well!

Ryou: Translation; I act like a girl.

Kitty: Well, that too…but that's not why I chose you for the role, honest!

Ryou: (snorts)

Yugi: Don't worry about it, Ryou…at least you aren't _actually_ a girl…you're just in the role that was _filled_by a girl. I was in the role of Christine, remember? That wasn't so bad.

Ryou: But _anyone_ could take being in Phantom of the Opera!

Kitty: Yeah, that's true…but Aladdin is the coolest ever! The Genie is awesomeness.

Bakura: Riiiiight…and _who_, pre tell, is playing the Genie?

Kitty: (sweatdrop) That's a surprise!

Bakura: Translation; it's one of your bishies or your friends.

Kitty: Yeah…BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE, DO YOU?

Bakura: Yugi?

Yugi: I'm just here for the story and the popcorn. (a bucket of popcorn appears in his lap)

Bakura: So it's Yami, Noa or Amelda…and as Noa was the Wizard of Oz and Kaiba has forbade you from making Amelda a main char-

Kitty: (growls) Kaiba is pure _evil_ for not letting me do anything with Amelda-chan! But I'll let you ponder with the parts later… Right now, we have to finish this prologue and get to the story.

Yami: STORY TIME! (sits next to Kitty attentively) What's the story, Tory?

Kitty **(a.k.a. Tory)**: (sweatdrop) I _never_ should've let you hang out with Kacey.

Yami: (pouts like a little kid) C'mon…tell the story.

Kitty: Alright…the story centers around this. (pulls out a lamp)

Ryou: An old oil lamp?

Kitty: (in a fake Arabian accent) Do not be fooled by its commonplace appearance. Like so many things, it is not what is _outside_, but what is _inside_ that counts.

Yugi: Okay…so the oil inside is the focus of a story about a stupid president who went to a useless war.

Kitty: (shakes her head) This is no ordinary lamp! It once changed the course of a young man's life…a young man who, like this lamp, is more than what he seems…a diamond in the rough, you could say.

Bakura: (smirks) I like this story already; hurry up before I lose my interest.

Kitty: Stop the commentary, I'm getting to it. (pause) It begins on a dark night…where a dark man waits…with a dark purpose…

Yugi: Ooh, creepy…

Yami: _Shh_!


	2. Chapter 1: Only One May Enter

_**Chapter 1: Only One May Enter**_

In the desert, a black horse and a cloaked rider waited. Then, from the west, came galloping another horse.

The horse stopped, and a rider with beetle-blue hair and round yellow glasses jumped off.

"You're late, Weevil," the cloaked rider whispered coldly.

"A thousand apologies, O patient one," Weevil replied in an insect-like voice that matched his looks.

"I will assume you have it, then?"

"I had to slit a few throats," Weevil smirked, "But I got it."

He held up a piece of gold that was shaped like half a scarab. The cloaked rider extended his hand for it, but Weevil held the piece out of his grip, shaking a finger at him.

"Ah, ah, ah," Weevil mocked, "The treasure…? OUCH!"

A parrot on the cloaked rider's shoulder had taken flight, snatching the gold piece out of Weevil's hand and into the cloaked rider's.

"Trust me, my adamant friend," the cloaked rider said quietly, reaching into his cloak, "You'll get what's coming to you."

"_Awk_! What's coming to you!" the parrot chirped on his shoulder.

The cloaked rider took out a mirrored piece of gold to the one he'd just taken from Weevil, and then fitted them together.

The newly fitted together scarab shone a bright yellow, before darting toward the sand dunes ahead, leaving a long gold trail flowing behind it.

"FOLLOW THE TRAIL!" the caped rider shouted, forcing his horse into a gallop to follow, and Weevil did the same.

At last, the trail ended, and the scarab split into two once more to bury themselves into a sand dune. The sand dune then started to become larger and larger, like flour making a cake rise, growing ears and a nose before opening up a giant mouth and eyes where the pieces of the scarab had been.

The sand dune was now a cave shaped like the head of a tiger.

"At last," whispered the cloaked rider, "After all my _years_ of searching…the Cave of Wonders."

"_Awk_! Cave of Wonders," chirped the parrot on his shoulder.

"Ra Almighty," Weevil muttered.

"Now, remember," the cloaked rider got back on task and snapped at Weevil, "Bring me the Millennium Puzzle. The rest of the treasure is yours, but the Puzzle is mine."

Weevil smirked as he jumped off his horse. "Yeah, yeah, sure, sure…"

The insect-like thief started into the sand-formed mouth served entrance, when a gust of air from within the cave blew him backward into the sand dune.

The tiger-cave's mouth moved with the words, **"Who disturbs my slumber?"**

Weevil was shaking all over. At last, he was able to stammer, "I-it is I, Weevil…a h-humble thief-"

**"Know this,"** the cave growled,** "Only one may enter here: one who's worth lies far within…the diamond in the rough."**

Weevil looked back at the cloaked rider, as if to ask what to do.

"What are you waiting for?" spat the cloaked rider, "Get in there!"

Weevil turned back to the tiger-cave, looking like he'd rather eat live piranhas whole, but did as the rider said and stepped further into the cave.

Weevil took his first step onto the staircase leading down into the cave, and held his breath…

Nothing happened.

Weevil heaved a sigh of relief, which then turned into a scream of terror as the tiger-cave's jaws slammed shut, trapping him inside. The sand swirled around, as the tiger-cave began to fall back into the sand dune.

The two scarab pieces fell at the cloaked rider's feet, as the tiger's voice echoed, **"Seek thee out the diamond in the rough…the diamond in the rough…diamond in the rough…"**

The parrot from the cloaked rider's shoulder snatched the two scarab pieces in his feet, before flying up to drop them in the rider's hand. 

"Weevil was obviously less than worthy," the rider said coolly.

"Oh, _that's_ a big surprise," squawked the parrot sarcastically and out of his own accord, "Next you're going to say that humans will one day grow wings and fly…"

"Pegasus, that's not necessary," the cloaked rider snapped at the parrot coldly, "It's bad enough that I'm going to need to search for this _'diamond in the rough,'_ in order to get the Millennium Puzzle, I don't need to worry about your squawking too."

Pegasus chirped reproachfully. "Whatever, Kaiba. How are you supposing we'll find this diamond, huh?"

"Not sure yet," Kaiba admitted, "But I'm not letting anyone get that Puzzle except me."

* * *

"STOP, THIEF!"

A white-haired thief with a scar on his left cheek ran around the marketplace, trying to outrun a group of the royal guards.

'_Ra,'_ he thought to himself, _'All this for a loaf of bread?'_

He then noticed some ladies chatting and laughing at his antics.

The thief smirked. Sure, he usually liked guys, but girls weren't that bad either, particularly to flirt with.

"Morning, ladies," he greeted.

"Getting into trouble a little _early_ today, aren't we, Bakura?" teased one of the eldest, named Mai.

"_Trouble_?" Bakura scoffed, "No way...you're only in trouble if you're caught-"

Suddenly, the Captain of the Guard, Kimo, grabbed his collar. "_Gotcha_!"

"And I'm in trouble," Bakura muttered.

But he wasn't for long, for down from a rooftop, landing on one vender's cart and then tackling Kimo came a tanned, white-blond haired Egyptian.

The Egyptian smirked at the befuddled Captain of the Guards.

"Care to dance?" he scorned, before whirling Kimo by his wrists straight into another vender's cart, making it crash on top of him.

"Let's scram, Bakura!" the Egyptian cued.

Bakura nodded, and the two thieves ran out of the marketplace, around some corners and up a few stairs to their little run-down apartment, hidden away from most and with the best view of the city you could wish for.

As they caught their breath, Bakura broke the bread in two and handed some to the Egyptian.

"That was perfect timing, Marik," he praised, "As usual."

Marik smirked. "I always have to save your ass, don't I?"

Bakura smirked back. "Seems that way…"

It was then that Bakura noticed that two pairs of eyes were peeking at them in the dark.

Bakura's eyes narrowed, and he growled, "Show yourself!"

Then, slowly, two children came out. One, a blond-haired boy, seemed to be trying to look after his little auburn-haired sister. Their eyes were lingering on the bread in Bakura and Marik's hands.

Bakura looked at Marik reproachfully. Marik glared back, before taking a big bite out of his piece of bread.

Bakura shook his head, before standing up and walking over to the little kids.

The kids shrank back. Not that Bakura blamed them; he knew he looked rather intimidating.

"Here."

He held out his piece of bread to them.

"Go on and take it. I can always get another."

The little boy meekly took the bread, smiling up at him in gratitude. He almost looked like a small puppy dog.

Bakura smiled in a very expressionless way, before heading out of his and Marik's little space and heading back into town.

Marik followed him. "Bakura, you're such a nimrod."

"I know," Bakura replied, "Damn this heart of mine; it always makes me starve for the night."

"Hey, look!" Marik pointed at a grand procession heading north through the streets.

"Wonder what's going on," muttered Bakura, "Let's find out, shall we?"

The two thieves ran into the crowd, and all around came whispers.

"On her way to the palace, I suppose-"

"-Another suitor for the Prince-"

"-I think she's Princess Tea of Syria-"

Bakura finally clawed through to the front to see a rather dressed-up young woman on top of a golden carriage being led in by two white horses. She had short brown hair being adorned by a crown, and blue eyes highly shined with gold. She also looked highly vain, as she was adoring herself in the mirror.

It was then the little girl darted toward the princess's carriage, her older brother trying to grab her back into the crowd.

"Serenity, _no_!" the boy cried, when the little girl tried to pet one of the horses.

The horses reared, the carriage stopped, and the mirror in the princess's hand fell to the ground and shattered.

"OUT OF MY WAY, YOU FILTHY BRATS!" the princess shouted, as her personal guards closed in around them and pointed their swords at them. The little girl clung to her brother in terror.

Bakura, in a justified fury, jumped in the middle of the pack of soldiers, grabbed all of their swords in one hand, and threw them into a building wall a few inches away.

"If I were as rich as _you_, lady, I could at least afford some _manners_," the thief snarled, pushing the kids back into the crowd and out of harm's way.

The princess looked insulted. "I'll teach you manners, you riffraff! Guards, handle him."

The princess's guards pushed Bakura, making him fall in a puddle of sand-like mud. The crowd laughed as Marik helped his friend up.

"You okay, man?" the Egyptian asked.

"Look at _that_, Marik!" crowed Bakura without paying attention, "It's not everyday you see a horse commanding its own carriage!"

There was an "Ooh," in the crowd, as Tea whirled around to look at him.

"You are a worthless street rat," the princess hissed, eyeing Bakura furiously, "You were _born_ a street rat, you'll _die_ a street rat, and only your fleas and your little sex-toy there will mourn you!"

Bakura, enraged on his friend being insulted, he ran over, ready to rip the princess limb-from-limb, but the door to the palace gates slammed in his face.

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "TAKE BACK WHAT YOU SAID! COME BACK AND FACE ME, YOU COWARDLY BITCH!"

Marik put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "C'mon, Bakura. Let's just go home."

Bakura looked at Marik for a minute, before sighing. "Alright."

And so the two thieves walked back to their little dig-in apartment, and went to sleep that night rather peacefully. But the next morning, the palace's fuss could have woken just about anyone.


	3. Chapter 2: Meet Prince Ryou

_**Chapter 2: Meet Prince Ryou  
**_

A scream sounded from the gardens where Tea had been meeting with the prince, before Tea herself slammed the doors of the palace open, running out into the sun and toward her carriage.

"THAT'S IT! I'M GOING HOME! I'VE NEVER BEEN SO INSULTED IN MY WHOLE LIFE-"

"Princess Tea!" the Sultan said in worry, running over and trying to calm her, "Y-you're leaving so soon?"

Tea glared, and it was here that the Sultan could see her red dress was badly ripped, from her left hip down and showing a pair of bright pink underwear.

"GOOD LUCK MARRYNG _HIM_ OFF, SOLOMON! HE'S NOTHING BUT A NO-GOOD, SELFISH LITTLE…"

She couldn't think of a word strong enough to voice her opinion, so instead she climbed into her carriage and ordered the coachman to trot the horses out of the gates.

Solomon sighed. "Oh Ryou, what have you done _now_…?"

* * *

"Ryou!" Solomon called through the gardens, "_Ryou_!"

A growl answered him, and down on the ground next to the pearl fountain sat a large tiger. Sitting on the fountain's bench and looking at his reflection in the water was a boy with long white hair and gentle tan eyes, dressed all in white silk.

"_Damn it, Amane_!" Solomon snapped, as the large cat dropped some red cloth from her mouth at his feet, "So…_this_ is why Tea stormed out just now!"

"Oh, _Father_," Ryou reproached gently, "Amane was only playing with her…weren't you, Amane?" he asked the cat affectionately, "You were just playing with that self-absorbed little whore of a princess, weren't you?"

The prince chuckled as he stroked the purring tiger's head, but at Solomon's stern look, he stopped and cleared his throat simply.

"Ryou, you've got to stop rejecting every lady who comes to call!" Solomon sighed, "The law says-"

"I must be married to a princess by my next birthday," Ryou muttered, "I _know_. And I _hate_ being forced into this. I don't even _like_ girls like that…and if I _do_ marry, I want to be for _love_."

"Ryou…" Solomon put a hand on the prince's shoulder, "It's not _only_ this law…I won't be around forever, and I just want to make sure that when I am gone…you won't be all alone like I was before I was able to adopt you. Loneliness is cruel and unforgiving, Ryou…I should know."

"I understand what _you're_ saying," Ryou replied, "But try to understand what _I'm_ saying! I've never done a thing on my own…I've never had any real friends…besides Amane," he added quickly as he scratched behind his pet's ears, "I've never even been outside of the palace walls! How am I supposed to be a good ruler if I know _nothing_ about the country I'm ruling?"

"But Ryou, you're a _Prince_," Solomon reproached. 

"Then maybe I don't want to be a Prince anymore!" snapped Ryou, turning his back and crossing his arms.

Solomon looked toward the heavens in aggravation. "Ra Almighty…"

He got up, and looked down at Amane. "Pray on your _life_ that you won't have a son like _this_…"

Amane watched quizzically as the Sultan left the gardens and went back inside.

Ryou sighed, and looked up at the sky, where some birds were flying away in an arrow-like formation.

"**_I think about it every night and day…"_** Ryou sang quietly, his eyes and heart on the birds, **_"Spread my wings and fly away…"

* * *

_**

Solomon sighed as he sat down on his throne.

"I just don't know why he's so headstrong," he muttered to himself, "He certainly never got it from _me_…"

It was then that someone entered the throne room.

The person was a young man with brown hair and cold blue eyes entered, dressed in dark blue robes and holding a golden rod with an Egyptian eye on it. A red and blue parrot was sitting on his shoulder.

"Ah…Kaiba," Solomon smiled, "I am most glad to see you."

Seto Kaiba was Solomon's most trusted counselor and the Grand Vizier; indeed, Solomon often looked to Kaiba for advice. Kaiba also had a talent with magical items and spells.

Solomon took a cracker out of his left pocket. "Oh, Polly…I've got a treat for you…"

Pegasus tried to keep his face impassive, but it proved difficult not to grimace when Solomon naively stuffed the stale cracker into his mouth.

"I saw a princess leaving through the main gates with her dress torn and pride wounded," Kaiba smirked, "I assume Ryou refused yet another suitor?"

"Yes," Solomon sighed, "Ryou just _refuses_ to choose a wife!"

"Hmm," Kaiba looked like he was thinking, "Perhaps I can divine a solution to this arduous dilemma…but I'd need the Millennium Eye in order to do so."

"The Millennium Eye?" repeated Solomon in surprise, "But…but the Millennium Items are supposed to be kept hidden, Kaiba, you know _that_-"

"It's necessary to find Ryou a suitor," Kaiba said quietly, raising the golden rod in his hand.

He brought it in front of Solomon's face, and the Sultan's eyes went blank, with an odd, gold hue around them.

"Don't worry…" Kaiba assured, "Everything will be fine…"

"Everything will be…_fine_," Solomon repeated slowly.

"The Millennium Eye?" Kaiba held out his hand.

Solomon, almost like a mind puppet, slowly and obediently reached into his right pocket, and handed it to him.

"You're most _gracious_, Your Majesty," Kaiba smirked, "Now…run along now and sit on your nice throne, hmm?"

"Yes…I'll just sit down…"

And with a flourish of his cape, Kaiba left the room.

He snuck around a corner, and pushed open a secret door to reveal a hidden staircase, to his underground laboratory. Quietly and cautiously, Kaiba shut the door behind him.

Pegasus spat out the cracker.

"That old _asshole_!" the parrot swore, "I CAN'T _TAKE_ IT ANYMORE! If I have to choke one more of those disgusting, stale crackers-"

"Calm yourself, Pegasus," Kaiba interrupted smoothly, "Soon…_I'll_ be Sultan…not that stupid excuse of a monarch…"

"And then, I'll stuff the crackers down _his_ throat!" laughed Pegasus.

Kaiba smirked. "Do what you like, bird-brain. I only want to be in charge. Finally my ideas and plans will actually be _listened_ to, instead of scrapped for impossible dreams or brainless hunks of crap."

"You know, you actually sound like a _good_ guy when you talk like that!" Pegasus crowed.

Kaiba shook his head. "Good guys have to play by the rules."

* * *

It was night. A dark, cloaked figure made his way through the gardens of the palace, before running over to a large tree. 

He tried to reach for a branch to help him climb up the tree, when something tugged his cloak.

It was Amane, holding his cloak in her teeth.

"I'm sorry, Amane," Ryou said quietly as he pulled the cloak off his face, "But I can't _stay_ here and have my life lived _for_ me…"

Ryou kneeled down and hugged his only, furry friend.

"I'll miss you so much," he murmured, as he felt tears come to his eyes for a slight second.

Amane licked his cheek. Ryou stroked her head gently one final time, before grabbing a hold of a tree branch and starting to climb up the big tree.

Ryou carefully climbed over the wall, and pulled his cloak back over his head, before looking down at Amane.

"Goodbye," he whispered, before he darted out of sight.

Amane put her head on her paws and watched the spot her master had been.

Something told her it'd be a while before she saw him again…


	4. Chapter 3: Shopping Turned Saving

_**Chapter 3: Shopping Turned Saving**_

The marketplace was bustling with activity as a brand new day began. The venders called out to people walking by, showing off their goods and trying to persuade them to buy them.

In the marketplace, however, there were also two young men by the name of Marik and Bakura, who had their minds prepared for trickery and their stomachs prepared for breakfast.

"I _still_ can't believe you're willing to cross-dress in order to get a meal," Bakura shook his head as Marik put on a womanly robe he snatched off a clothesline.

"For the hundredth time, I'm not _cross-dressing_, I'm _acting_," Marik put on some dangling earrings, "And do you have a better idea? This has filled your belly for two weeks already."

"Yeah," smirked Bakura, "You just better hope that Devlin doesn't decide to ignore his morals and rape you on the spot."

Marik stuck his tongue out at Bakura as he walked over to a vender selling melons.

The vender had black hair that fell around his face and made his bright green eyes stand out. Dangling from one ear was a die earring.

"Heya, Duke," Marik said in a seductive, female-like voice, "What's shakin'?"

Duke grinned sexily. "Ah, nothing much, babe. So…taking me up on my offer?"

"It's…very tempting," Marik acted, leaning in a little closer, "Quite. But I just don't think I can. My family and I are all starving; I'll never get away for enough time."

"Well, then," Duke smirked, "Take a melon home, and think about it a bit, eh? It's on me."

Marik took one melon from the vender and smirked. "Thanks, hon. I'll think about it."

And with that, Marik came around the corner to join Bakura.

"As _if_," he muttered under his breath as he took off the robe and earrings, "I happen not to like boys like that."

"Unlike me," Bakura grabbed the melon and broke it in two even halves, "Breakfast is served."

* * *

On the other side of the market was Ryou, dressed in a peasant's cloak. His eyes wandered around, wide and full of amazement at everything they met.

Venders smiled and talked to him, and Ryou politely shook his head to tell them he was not interested, until he bumped into someone.

"Oh…excuse me!" Ryou immediately apologized, helping the man up.

The man looked at him, before giving an almighty belch. Ryou jumped back, his hood falling off, in shock and fear as a stream of fire came out of the man's mouth.

* * *

Bakura looked up at the sound of a polite, male voice saying, "I'm really…very sorry…"

A boy had bumped into a fire-breather performing for a small audience. Usually, Bakura wouldn't have cared, but the boy caught his eye and held it.

His white hair was long and fell down his shoulders as long as a girl, and his brown eyes held an innocent shine that was strikingly beautiful to behold.

"_Wow_…" Bakura breathed absently.

The boy brought his hood up over his head, and continued down the street toward where Bakura and Marik were sitting.

Marik eyed Bakura in concern, before bringing up a hand to wave in front of his friend's face.

"Bakura? _Hello_? Earth to Bakura!"

* * *

Ryou passed an apple vender, where a little girl with blond pigtails and holding a teddy bear was jumping up and down, trying to reach an apple.

"You must be hungry," Ryou smiled down at the girl kindly, taking an apple from the cart and handing it to her, "Here you go."

The girl took it and dashed off; then the apple vender (a man with pointed blond hair and sideburns and narrowed dark-blue eyes) said in a harsh tone, "You better be able to _pay_ for that, boy."

"Pay?" Ryou repeated in confusion, as he felt his wrist being grabbed.

"No one steals from _my_ cart," the vender growled.

"I'm sorry, sir," Ryou replied in a naively polite way, "But I don't have any money-" 

"_THIEF_!" the vender roared, his grip tightening on Ryou's wrist and slamming it down on the cart.

"I-if y-you let me g-go to the palace, I-I can get some from th-the Sultan!" Ryou stammered in complete and utter terror. He'd never seen someone so angry, particularly not with him.

"_Do you know what the penalty is for stealing_?" the vender drew a sword, and raised it above Ryou's wrist.

"_NO_! NO, _PLEASE_!" Ryou pleaded.

A hand suddenly grabbed the sword out of the vender's hand.

"Thank you, kind sir, I'm so glad you found him," Bakura said in a pretend kind tone, pulling Ryou behind him.

The thief turned to Ryou, and pretended to be reproachful as he started to push Ryou away from the scene. "I've been looking all over for you…"

"What are you doing?" Ryou whispered.

"Just play along," Bakura told him with a wink, "I'll help you out of this."

"You, uh…_know_ this boy?" the vender grabbed Bakura's shoulder.

"Sadly, yes," Bakura sighed, "He's my twin brother. He's a little crazy."

"He said he knew the Sultan!" snapped the vender, his eyes suspicious.

Bakura pulled out of the vender's grip, and, thinking quickly, replied, "He thinks my _friend_ is the Sultan."

Marik, who had been grabbing a few apples from the cart while Bakura was talking, hastily shoved the apples into his pocket and tried to look innocent of any crimes, whistling and all.

Ryou at first had been a little insulted at being called crazy, but right then, he realized what Bakura was doing.

Opening his eyes a little wider as to look innocently dumb, he kneeled at Marik's feet and proclaimed, "Oh, _wise_ Sultan! How may I _serve_ you?"

Marik chuckled nervously, and sheepishly patted the boy's head.

"Tragic, isn't it?" Bakura asked the vender, as he snatched one of the stolen apples out of Marik's pocket and, then in the vender's clear line of vision, placed it back on the cart, "Well, no harm done!"

Bakura grabbed Ryou's hand and pulled him off the ground. "Now come along, bro…time to go see the doctor…"

"Why _hello_, doctor," Ryou said innocently, looking clearly at a camel drinking some water. "How _are_ you today?"

"Not _that_ one, bro," Bakura tried not to laugh, before calling behind him sarcastically, "Come on, _Sultan_..."

Marik smirked, and began to follow, but he tripped on someone's foot and the stolen apples in his pockets came falling out onto the sand.

It took a few moments for the vender to react, but that was all Marik needed to grab the apples and scamper after Bakura and Ryou as they ran out of sight.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU LITTLES THIEVES!" the vender shouted, shaking a fist at their retreating backs.

If only Marik had looked up to see whose foot he had tripped on.

The person was cloaked, but his cold blue eyes were apparent. On his cloaked left shoulder, there was a multicolored parrot, and in his right hand, there was a golden ball with the symbol of the Millennium Items shining with purple Shadow Realm magic.

"That's the boy we need, Pegasus," Kaiba muttered, "My diamond in the rough is that little white-haired thief."

"That's _him_?" Pegasus squawked in disbelief, "_That's_ the guy we've been looking for?"

Kaiba nodded. "Let's have the guards invite him up to the palace…I am most _eager_ to speak with him."

"You're going to ask him if he wants to go get the Puzzle?" asked Pegasus in surprise, "That's _stupid_, Kaiba-boy."

"_Don't_ call me that," Kaiba snarled.

Pegasus smirked. "_Awk_! Kaiba-boy! _Awk_! Kaiba-"

Kaiba had seized his beak and was now holding it shut.

"Shut up or I'll shove a billion of those stale crackers down your throat," the Grand Vizier hissed.

He let go, and Pegasus nursed his poor beak.

"But it _is_ stupid, Kaiba," Pegasus muttered, "I doubt highly he'll listen to a power-hungry Grand Vizier. There's nothing in it for him."

Kaiba smirked. "Oh, I don't plan to meet him as the Grand Vizier, Pegasus. And I always can tell what people want…I think I already have a suspicion of what I can offer that boy…"


	5. Chapter 4: Love is Delayed

_**Chapter 4: Love is Delayed**_

Bakura, Ryou and Marik started to climb on top of an apartment complex as to be high above any guards still looking for them.

"We're almost there," Bakura smiled as he held out his hand to help pull Ryou up to the roof.

Ryou took his hand and let Bakura help him, only to trip and fall into the thief's arms.

The two albinos held each other's gaze for a moment, before Ryou spoke quietly and in a stammer.

"I…I'd like to thank you…for helping me back there."

"Uh…forget it," Bakura muttered quickly, looking down to hide a blush coming to his cheeks.

There was a pause in which Bakura, then Marik, used a piece of wood to ricochet over to another roof.

"So, this is your first time in the marketplace, eh?" Marik asked Ryou from the other rooftop.

Ryou smiled sheepishly. "Is it really _that_ obvious?"

"Well, you do kinda stand out," Bakura replied, grabbing another thicker piece of wood to give Ryou a kind of bridge across.

Ryou clasped his hands neatly in front of him and blushed slightly. Marik smirked at his friend in an evilly teasing way.

Bakura blinked at Marik, before adding quickly, "I mean, uh…you don't seem to see how dangerous the marketplace can _be_-"

Ryou ricocheted over to the other rooftop like the two thieves had done before.

The innocent smiled at their shocked expressions.

"I'm a quick study," he explained, tossing the piece of wood he'd used to Bakura.

Bakura stared, before looking at Marik with a raised eyebrow.

"I _like_," he smirked.

He tossed the piece of wood on the ground, before going over to Ryou and taking his hand.

"C'mon…this way."

The three climbed over to another rooftop, and then went through a hole to land in the hallway down to Bakura and Marik's makeshift home.

"Watch your head there," Bakura cautioned Ryou, "Marik and I haven't exactly been able to hire a remodeling service…"

"Is this where you live?" Ryou asked in surprise.

"Yep," Bakura nodded, "But we don't spend tons of time here…we come and go as we please, really…"

"That sounds wonderful," Ryou sighed.

"Well, it's not much," Bakura shrugged, pulling aside a makeshift curtain on their only window, "But it's got a great view."

It was definitely beautiful. The sun was setting on the city, and it shone best on the royal palace, almost directly forward of the window, as if it were a beautiful painting in a museum.

"Palace looks pretty amazing, huh?" Marik asked, misreading Ryou's expression as he looked at the view.

"Oh…yeah, it's amazing," Ryou said half-heartedly as he sat down on the floor.

"I wonder what it'd be like to live there," Bakura thought out loud, "And have servants…and endless food…"

"Sure, sure," Ryou growled bitterly, "People telling you where to go and how to dress…"

Bakura shrugged. "Hey, it's better than here. Here, you don't have much choice on clothes and you have to go anywhere the guards aren't chasing you…"

"But at least here you're able to make your own choices," Ryou muttered.

"You can't do anything with your life…you feel so…"

"It's like a gold cage keeping you in…you're just…"

"_Trapped_," both of them said together.

The two turned to stare at each other awkwardly.

This time, Bakura broke the ice. Grabbing a stolen apple out of Marik's hand, he threw it gently over to Ryou and asked, "Uh…so…where you from?"

Ryou caught the apple deftly. "That doesn't matter. I ran away, and I'm never going back…"

Bakura raised an eyebrow as he came and sat down next to Ryou. "Really? Why?"

Ryou sighed. "My…my father's forcing me to marry."

"That's terrible," Marik said, frowning deeply, "Let me guess: she isn't exactly what you have in mind."

"You could say that," Ryou whispered, "She never could be…'cause I don't like girls like that."

"You're homosexual?" asked Bakura, his eyes lighting up ever so slightly.

"Yeah…" Ryou played with a lock of hair with embarrassment, "I've never really told anyone except my dad…you don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not," Bakura laughed, "I'm bi, why would I care?"

"You're bi?" Ryou asked in surprise.

"Yep," Marik smirked, "Charms both ladies and men, this one does…too bad he can't charm the guards, then we might actually get them off our backs for two seconds."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Jealous."

"Only because of the ladies," Marik corrected.

"And Duke is _what_, pre tell, Mr. Cross-Dresser?"

"I don't _cross-dress_, I _ACT_!"

Ryou smiled as the two continued arguing, before looking out at the view of the palace. Birds were still flying on the horizon, and for the first time, Ryou almost felt as if he was flying with them.

"**_So if you care to find me,_**" he sang under his breath, "_**Look to the western sky…"**_

"Huh?" Bakura looked up, "What'd you say?"

"Nothing," Ryou said quickly, "I just…sing to myself sometimes…"

"What were you singing?" Marik asked in only half-interest.

"'_Defying Gravity,'_" Ryou replied, "It's nice. It's in a play."

Bakura blinked. "You've seen plays? Only _rich_ people see plays!"

"Only one," Ryou lied quickly, his eyes darting to the floor.

Bakura was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Can I hear it?"

Ryou blushed a light pink, before singing softly,

_**"Something has changed within me…  
Something is not the same.  
I'm through with playing by the rules  
Of someone else's game.**_

_**Too late for second-guessing;  
Too late to go back to sleep…  
It's time to trust my instincts:  
Close my eyes…and leap…**_

_**It's time to try  
Defying Gravity;  
I think I'll try  
Defying Gravity,  
And you can't pull me down!"**_

Ryou only had just realized Bakura had been moving closer to him, and now their faces were but inches apart as a yell came from the doorway.

"_There you are_!"

About ten guards were in the doorway of the building.

"They're after me!" Bakura and Ryou yelled together.

"They're after _you_?" Marik and Ryou asked together.

"Father must've sent them…" Ryou whispered to himself, as the other two headed over toward the window.

"Do you trust me?" Bakura asked Ryou.

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" Bakura demanded, holding out his hand to him.

Ryou took his hand. "Yes…"

"Then _jump_!" Bakura yelled, pulling Ryou down with him and Marik as they jumped out the window.

The three fell down holes in the floor of the rotted building, through a sheet and finally landed in a pile of sand at the very bottom.

Quickly Bakura led Ryou out, only to run straight into the Captain of the Guards.

"We just keep running into each other, don't we, street rat?" Kemo smirked.

Marik leapt onto Kemo, biting his wrist to get him. Kemo yelled, letting go of Bakura.

Bakura and Ryou headed the other way, only to be blocked by more guards.

Finally Kemo threw Marik against the wall: the Egyptian's head hit it sharply, and he collapsed on the floor.

"_MARIK_!" Bakura shouted, as the guards seized his wrists.

"It's the dungeon for you, street rat," snapped Kemo.

"Let him go!" Ryou shouted.

He tried to punch Kemo, but it didn't make much of a difference; he'd never fought before, so his punches were too weak to leave a mark.

"Look here, men!" Kemo laughed, "Seems the street rat has a new man-whore!"

He pushed Ryou to the floor with one hand, as he and the rest of the guards roared with laughter. Bakura struggled, trying to get out of his captors' hands and over to help Ryou.

Ryou, however, his eyes downcast, stood up expressionlessly. Then, when he raised his head, his eyes were full of cold fury.

"Unhand him," Ryou said in a firmer tone than Bakura had heard him use before, pulling off his hood at last, "By order of the Crown Prince."

He pulled something out from under his robe. It looked a lot like a gold dream-catcher, with an Egyptian eye in the center that was flashing brightly.

_It was the Millennium Ring._

The guards immediately collapsed onto one knee, and Kemo stammered, "P-Prince Ryou…"

"Prince Ryou…?" Bakura whispered, staring at Ryou in shock. Ryou, however, did not look at him.

"W-what are you doing outside the palace?" Kemo stammered, "A-and with this thief-"

"That's none of your concern, Kemo," Ryou interrupted in a royally cold voice, "Do as I command and release him…now"

"I…I would, Your Highness," Kemo replied, bowing, "But m-my orders come from the Grand Vizier…you'll have to take it up with him."

"Believe me," Ryou whispered as the guards took Bakura away, "I will. And Kaiba better have a good reason for this…"


	6. Chapter 5: A Deal with the Quiet One

_**Chapter 5: A Deal with the Quiet One**_

Kaiba was just opening the doorway to his secret room to put away his traveler's coat, when someone called his name.

"Kaiba!"

Kaiba shoved the cloak inside, making it fall on top of a very befuddled Pegasus as he quickly closed the doorway and smiled coolly at the Prince.

"Prince Ryou…how may I be of service to you?"

Ryou was in an unusually angry mood, and he showed it well with his retort.

"Two boys were attacked in the marketplace, one of them being taken by the guards and to prison…on _your_ orders. Explain."

"Your father has charged me with keeping peace within the city, my Prince," Kaiba said silkily, "The boy captured was a criminal."

"And what was his crime?" Ryou demanded.

Kaiba's mind moved quickly, trying to think of some excuse, as he heard Pegasus struggling to open the secret doorway.

"Why…kidnapping the heir of the throne, of course."

"He didn't _kidnap_ me," Ryou growled, "I ran away!"

"Oh," Kaiba pretended to be surprised, "Oh _dear_…by _Ra_…had I but_ known_…"

"What do you mean?" Ryou inquired 

"Sadly, the boy's sentence has already been carried out," Kaiba replied.

"What sentence?" Ryou asked, almost not wanting to know.

"Death," Kaiba said crisply, as Ryou gasped in horror, "By beheading."

"No…" Ryou whispered, "_No_…"

The prince looked away from Kaiba, but his feelings were apparent.

"I'm extremely sorry, Your Highness," Kaiba put a hand on his shoulder, trying to sound comforting.

"_How could you_?" Ryou pulled away from the Grand Vizier's hand, glaring at him in a type of miserable fury, before running out of the room. 

Kaiba watched the Prince leave as he finally let Pegasus open the hidden door and fly out and onto his shoulder.

"So…how'd it go, Kaiba?" squawked the parrot.

Kaiba shrugged. "Not bad at all."

* * *

Ryou ran out to the gardens and into the moonlight, blindly trying to get away. He tripped and fell to the marble ground near the fountain, scratching his knees and hands; but instead of getting up, the Prince just sat there and wept.

Amane came over and licked Ryou's cheek, as if to ask, _"What's wrong?"_

Ryou looked up at his faithful pet with tear-filled eyes.

"It's all my fault he's dead…" he whispered, "I…I didn't even know his name…"

Ryou put his arms around the large tiger, crying as Amane nuzzled his cheek.

_**"No good deed…goes unpunished…" **_Ryou's quiet singing voice was choked back with tears.

* * *

Not too far from where the Prince was weeping was the prison, and despite Kaiba's lies, that was where Bakura was still locked up.

Bakura struggled with his chains, but to no avail.

"He was the _Prince_!" he muttered to himself, "I can't believe I fell for a _Prince_! I must have sounded like such an _idiot_ to him!"

Suddenly, something long and hard hit the thief's head.

"_OW_!"

Stars winked in front of his eyes, before Bakura realized that it had been a bar off the top-most jail window, and that a rope had descended from the window and someone was coming down into the cell.

"_Hello_?" teased a voice, "Stop talking to yourself down there, Bakura, I need to get you out of here!"

"Marik!" Bakura realized in relief, "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

Marik came over to his friend, smirking broadly and holding up a lock-pick.

"Are you okay, dude?" the white-haired thief asked.

"Ah, sure," the Egyptian replied with a teasing smirk, "I've got a hard head: that wall didn't hurt a bit! Now I'll ask the same question in your case: are you okay?"

Bakura shrugged. "Yeah."

"What did the guards do with your pretty-boy crush?" Marik asked.

Bakura glared. "He's _not_ a pretty boy! Actually…he's Prince Ryou."

Marik's jaw dropped. "_Seriously_? That's _fucking awesome_…! Oh."

His eyes widened as he translated Bakura's expression. "Oh, I see…you and he can't…"

"No," Bakura muttered, his eyes going into shadow.

"I'm sorry, man," Marik put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "But hey, there are plenty of other girls and guys out there…you're bi, you can go and meet anyone!"

Bakura sighed. "I guess you're right…but…I don't know…he just seemed so…_perfect_. He was sweet…and fun…and Ra…his eyes…and his smile…"

"It's almost like Fate made you two meet," Marik noted.

Bakura nodded. "And you and I both know how cruel Fate can be."

"So do Iboy," said a voice in the shadows, "But Fate can be tricked into letting you get what you want."

The two thieves looked up in fright, to see a short bald man sitting close by, his blank, heavy-stenciled eyes stared at them through the darkness. He wore a metal chain and lock around his neck almost like a collar, and a strange, golden eye was shining on his forehead.

"W-who are _you_?" stammered Marik.

"I am Strings, the Quiet One," the man replied, "I'm sorry I didn't speak earlier; I have my name for obvious reasons."

"What did you mean by _'tricking' _Fate?" Bakura asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Strings smirked rather blankly. "We may both be lowly prisoners _now_…but together…perhaps we can be _more_."

"I'm listening," Bakura's ears pricked up.

"There's a cave, boy," Strings explained, "A Cave of Wonders…filled to the top with riches beyond your comprehension…think of all you could _do_ with that money, boy…Ra, you could even impress that Prince of yours, I'd wager…"

Bakura felt a stab at his heart at the mention of Ryou. "But the law says…only a _princess _can-"

"You've heard of the Golden Rule, haven't you?" asked Strings with an evil grin.

"Learned it once," Marik rolled his eyes, "Didn't like it. Fed it to my dog."

"No, I mean the Golden Rule that _matters_, idiot," Strings snapped, "_'Whoever has the gold makes the rules'_?"

"But why would you share all this treasure with _us_?" Bakura asked, "You'd be splitting up all the riches in three ways."

"I'm not fit enough to travel the desert by myself," Strings replied, "And you two don't know where the cave is. I only want one piece of the treasure, anyway: you can have everything else…and the things you're able to get with it."

Marik grinned in excitement. Bakura, however, frowned deeply.

"There's only one problem with this whole plan of yours," he said, "That cave's _outside_…and we're stuck in here."

Strings smirked even more broadly.

"Oh…things aren't always what they appear to be," he said, as he pushed against a certain brick in the wall.

A hidden door suddenly sprang open, to reveal a long line of steps.

"So…" Strings held our his hand, "Do we have a deal?"

Bakura looked at the prisoner's hand, and then shot a glance at Marik. Then, thinking of Ryou, the white-haired thief grabbed the Silent One's hand and they shook on it.

"Deal," Bakura agreed, before he and Marik followed Strings down the staircase.

When the three were out of sight, another stranger came out of the darkness, the gold rod in his hand shining brightly with Shadow Realm magic.

"Excellent," Kaiba whispered, "Excellent, my mind puppet. Take them to the Cave of Wonders…and to the Millennium Puzzle."

His echoing laugh through the jail cell was never heard by anyone.


	7. Chapter 6: The Cave of Wonders

_**Chapter 6: The Cave of Wonders**_

Through the desert, Bakura and Marik led the horse on which Strings was sitting, scarves tied around their mouths to stop themselves from inhaling the harsh desert sand being blown into their faces. If Marik were alone with Bakura, he would've started complaining a long time ago, but the thought of riches and the determined look on his white-haired friend's face made him keep his mouth shut.

At last, the three approached a sand dune where Strings ordered them to stop. The Quiet One held up two pieces of a gold scarab and fitted them together.

At once, the scarab dove into a sand dune, and the dune rose up into a giant tiger head, just as it had for Kaiba and Weevil that first Egyptian night.

"**Who disturbs my slumber?"** asked the giant tiger head in a booming roar.

Marik was trembling from head-to-toe. Bakura felt just as scared, although he did not show it on his face, as he choked out the words,

"It is I, Bakura…I am a thief."

"**And who are your companions, Thief Bakura?"**

Knowing Marik was too petrified to speak and, remembering Strings was known as the Quiet One, Bakura spoke for both of them.

"This is Marik…he's my friend and a fellow thief," said Bakura, "And this is Strings the Quiet One. He showed us the way here."

"**What do you plan to do with the treasures within, Thief Bakura?"**

"I wish to impress the Sultan so I can ask him to marry his son, Ryou," Bakura answered, "I…I met him, and…well, I really like him," he finished rather lamely.

The tiger head didn't speak at first, but only eyed Bakura suspiciously; then it growled, **"Thief Bakura, you and your comrade Marik may proceed. Touch nothing but the Millennium Puzzle."**

The tiger opened its mouth wide enough to admit them.

"Remember our deal, boy," Strings spoke to Bakura, "Fetch me the Puzzle, and you shall have your reward."

And with that statement in mind, Marik and Bakura started their slow journey down the long set of steps of the Cave of Wonders,

When the two reached the landing at the end of the staircase, they found themselves inside of a gold-encrusted room, nearly covered in exotic treasures made of every gem and precious metal imaginable, different colors reflect off the walls thanks to the candlelight bouncing off of the different jewels.

"_Ra Almighty_," Marik breathed.

Bakura couldn't help but laugh. "Imagine…one _handful_ of this stuff would make me richer than the Sultan _himself_!"

Then he sighed. "But a promise is a promise. We gotta find that Millennium Trinket before we get anything. Come on, Marik."

"But can't we just take _one_ thing?" Marik pleaded, eying a golden crown with deep-set emeralds and diamonds in particular, "I mean, that guy will never know-"

"Come _on_," Bakura growled.

Marik pouted, his eyes still on the crown as he followed his friend.

"But we're _thieves_…_surely_ he doesn't expect us not to-?"

"We're not taking anything until we find that Puzzle," snapped Bakura.

"But-"

"Shut up and walk, Marik."

Marik and Bakura walked in silence for a few moments through the glittering chamber…

And from the corner, an Arabian-looking rug uncurled itself from the tight roll it had been in, and in an almost curious way, lifted itself off the ground to take a look at Marik.

The platinum-blond-haired Egyptian whirled around, only to see the rug lying down on the floor near his feet. Assuming he had been seeing things, he turned around and continued walking.

The rug flew up off the floor again and continued to follow Marik; when he turned around again, the rug dodged his sight by flying above his head.

"_Bakura_…" Marik muttered awkwardly.

"What?" Bakura barked without turning around. He didn't quite mean for his voice to be so harsh, but it was kind of hard not to be when Marik had been testing his temper earlier.

"I feel like someone's _watching_ us…or some_thing_…"

"That's nonsense, Marik," Bakura said gruffly, "What would be watching us, a chandelier?"

Marik jerked involuntarily to look above him, and when he did, he finally saw the flying rug. He screamed like a girl, before jumping to try and hide behind Bakura, but instead pouncing on him like a cat would a mouse.

"Marik, what the fuck…_get off me, you nimrod_!" Bakura struggled to push his panicked friend off of his back, and turned around to see the rug hiding behind a golden chest.

His dark brown eyes widened.

"_A Magic Carpet_," he whispered in thrilled astonishment.

After a moment, Bakura spoke to the Carpet as gently as he could speak with his harsh, deep voice, "Come on. Come out…we won't hurt ya."

"Bakura, you _do_ realize you're talking to a _rug_, don't you?" Marik muttered exasperatedly, but he continued to hide behind Bakura as though the Magic Carpet was going to eat him.

But the Magic Carpet peeked over the chest like a little kid playing Peek-a-Boo, before flying meekly over to the two men.

"I'm Bakura," the thief introduced himself, "And this idiot hiding from you is Marik. We're-"

Bakura would've said more, but the Magic Carpet waved its front right tassel as if to tell him to get his attention, before the same tassel, almost acting like a human's hand, started to trace letters into the sandy ground in front of them.

"Y-U," Bakura read the letters out loud, "G-I. Yugi. Is that your name?"

The Carpet tapped its front tassels together like human hands applauding a wonderful musical performance.

"Great, it's a rug with a _name_," growled Marik, "I thought it being able to fly was bad enough…"

"Oh shut up, you idiot," Bakura hit him over the head, "He might be able to help us."

He looked back at Yugi. "We're trying to find this _'Millennium Puzzle.'_ Do you know where we might find it?"

Yugi flew up into the air rather quickly, as if excited about something, before gesturing with his tassel to follow him as he flew off down a passage into a darker section of the Cave of Wonders.

"For once, Bakura," Marik grinned, "I'm _glad_ you decided to talk to a rug!"

* * *

Yugi the Magic Carpet led the two thieves down the dark, cavernous passageway, through different, smaller halls that zigzagged in a complex pattern like a mythological labyrinth. 

"This doesn't make any _sense_!" Marik muttered after staring at Yugi for more than fifteen minutes in puzzlement, "How can a rug without eyes or ears navigate through these tunnels so easily when we couldn't even find the beginning of this passage?"

"It's magic," Bakura said with a shrug, "It's not _supposed_ to make sense."

Two minutes later, Bakura, Marik and Yugi found themselves entering a tall antechamber, and on the top of a tall mountain-like rock with an almost staircase of stone on the side facing them, Bakura could see something gold shining in the candlelight.

Yugi pointed with his tassel at the top of the rock, and Bakura nodded in understanding. That shine must be the Millennium Puzzle.

The white-haired thief stepped onto the first of the stone "steps," before climbing up to the second, the third, the fourth and so on.

Marik sighed, looking around the dark antechamber in distaste. If he had only stayed behind in the treasure room, there might be something of _value_…

Then a red glint caught his eye.

A large red ruby was in the arms of an enormous golden statue of a jackal sitting in the corner, glinting tauntingly at the Egyptian. Next to the jackal's head on the stone wall was a gold plaque with the engraved words:

**_RUBY OF ANUBIS: AT SIGHT, GREED SHALL CONSUME THEE._**

Unfortunately, Marik had only eyes for the ruby and not its message. Almost out of his own control and his lavender eyes hazing up like a fogged-up window, the Egyptian took a step…then another…

Yugi, however, noticed in silent horror what had happened, and immediately tried grabbing onto Marik's shirt with his tassels to try and pull him back. But his tassels were not hands, and therefore could not hold back the hypnotized young man. Marik took another large step…his hands outstretched…

And Bakura picked up the small, rectangular box waiting for him at the landing. It was gold and engraved with various hieroglyphs and pictures of Egyptian gods, and in the center was a large eye: the symbol of the Millennium Items.

Feeling excitement flood his veins, Bakura pulled the lid off of the box.

Inside was an odd necklace with an upside-down triangle pendent, with a gaping hole in the center where another piece of gold should've completed it.

"_This_…is _it_?" Bakura looked at it in disgust and disappointment, "We came all the way down here for a _broken necklace_? What kind of _stupid_ joke-?"

It was here that he had looked down at Marik being pulled back by Yugi, and his eyes widened in shock when he caught sight of the gold plaque.

"MARIK, _NO_!" Bakura shouted, but it was too late: Marik's fingers had already found the jewel.

"**INFEDELS!" **the tiger's voice roared through-out the cavern as Marik shook his head to clear his thoughts, **"YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE FORBIDDEN TREASURE!"**

Marik was still trying to figure out what was going on when the ruby in his hand started to melt; in alarm, he dropped it, as the golden jackal where the jewel had once sat started to melt also.

"**NOW, YOU SHALL NEVER AGAIN SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY!"**

The top of the rock where the box holding the broken Puzzle had sat burst into flame. In surprised fright, Bakura ran down the rock as fast as he could, clutching the golden box close to his chest, and jumped over the small pool of lava quickly forming where the floor had once been to get back to Marik.

"What are we going to do?" yelled Marik, before jumping out of the way of a rock falling from the collapsing ceiling, "The whole cave is coming down, and we're way too far from the exit to run for it!"

Bakura opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, he felt something touch his shoulder. He turned around to look at Yugi, who was now floating horizontally a little ways above the ground.

Bakura's dark eyes widened. "You'd _really_ help us out of here?"

Yugi's tassel formed a shape that looked like a hand with a thumb's-up.

"I take back every single bad thing I said about you," Marik said weakly.

Yugi merely gestured for them to hurry up, and without any more hesitation, Marik and Bakura jumped onto the Magic Carpet, before Yugi zoomed back toward the exit.

The two young men were having difficulty holding onto the rug as Yugi went upside down and dodged sharply as to avoid the falling rock and spurts of lava shooting in various directions. It was as if the Cave of Wonders was determined to have two dead bodies resting inside by the end of the day, or maybe sooner.

At last when they were near three feet of the breaking entrance, a large boulder from the ceiling fell on top of Yugi, throwing Bakura and Marik into the falling-apart steps they had used to enter the cave in the first place. The two clung on for dear life (Marik with both hands and Bakura with only one since he was still holding onto the Millennium Puzzle), before their only savior came into sight.

"_Strings_!" shouted Marik, "Help us out!"

"Throw me the Puzzle!" Strings yelled back.

"I can't hold on!" Bakura said desperately, trying to steady his sweaty grip on the stone step, "Give me your hand!"

"First give me the Puzzle!" Strings repeated more forcefully.

Seeing he had no choice, Bakura stretched the hand holding the box over to the Quiet One.

But the hand that grabbed it from him was much larger and tanner than Strings'.

A tall, dark figure held onto the box, laughing in evil triumph and a golden rod with the Millennium symbol shining in his hand. All Marik and Bakura could see of him was his narrowing azure eyes glinting through the darkness.

"Who…who _are_ you?" Bakura demanded, his eyes narrowing.

The figure stopped laughing.

"I give voice to the Quiet One," Strings and the man spoke together, "He is but my simple mind slave…and now, thanks to _you_, boy, I now have the power to take over the entire world…I don't think I'll ever be able to _repay_ you."

"_You_…!"

"Oh, but there is one way," the figure's mouth went up into a smirk, "I'll give you and your friend _painless_ deaths before I head up to the palace and handle the Sultan and your pretty little boyfriend."

Bakura snapped.

"_You'll do no such thing_!"

He grabbed a medium-sized rock off of the stone steps, and aimed only vaguely before throwing it in the figure's direction.

The rock hit right on target in his eye; the man cried out in pain and dropped the box, just as Bakura lost his grip on the stone steps and fell into the dark chasms below.

"_BAKURA_!" yelled Marik, before the box holding the Millennium Puzzle fell onto his head, knocking him unconscious and making him let go and fall down after Bakura.

Luckily for the two thieves, Yugi the Magic Carpet had finally struggled free from his prison underneath the giant boulder, before flying up to catch Bakura, the golden box, and the unconscious Marik and drifted them gently to the ground.

The figure and the motionless Strings watched as the tiger head slowly closed its mouth and faded back into the sand forever.

Seto Kaiba's cursing shouts were loud enough to be heard throughout the desert, but weren't ever heard by anyone.


	8. Chapter 7: Your Wish is My Command

_**Chapter 7: Your Wish is My Command**_

"Marik. Marik. _Marik_! Wake up! We're alive."

The blond-haired Egyptian opened his lavender eyes and blinked a few times as to make out the face of Bakura and the multicolored patterns of Yugi the Magic Carpet.

"Welcome back," the white-haired thief grinned down at him, "Feeling okay?"

"_No_," moaned Marik, before looking up at the ceiling, to see nothing but rocks covering up where the entry to the Cave of Wonders had been.

"We're trapped," Bakura told him, "Yugi tried pushing some of the rocks covering the exit aside earlier, but there's no way out."

"_That two-faced son of a bitch_!" Marik growled in anger as he pushed himself off the ground; he then fell back with a whimper and gripped his head.

"_Ow_…something hit my head _hard_…"

"Yeah, _this_," Bakura picked up the golden box containing the Millennium Puzzle, "Looks like that guy who trapped us in here didn't end up getting what he wanted after all.  
I don't know why he'd want _this, _though…" he added, frowning as he pulled the Puzzle out of its box by its silver chain, "...it's just a broken necklace." 

Marik frowned, before his eyes narrowed at the sight of a shine at the bottom of the box. "Hey, what's this?"

He reached into the box and picked up a small flat piece of gold with the eye of the Millennium Items on it.

Yugi started pointing at the golden piece in Marik's hand, looking as excited as a Magic Carpet could possibly look without a face.

"What's _your_ problem?" Marik raised an eyebrow at Yugi, "It doesn't look like it's _worth_ that much…"

He even bit on it to try and see if there was hidden value for good measure (to find none), but Yugi only kept pointing significantly.

Marik looked at his friend imploringly. "Bakura, you're better at understanding this rug than I am: ya mind telling me what he's trying to say?"

But Bakura didn't answer. He only stared at the piece in Marik's hand and then looked at the hole in the "broken" necklace.

'_It isn't broken at all…'_ Bakura realized, '_It's just not finished!'_

"Marik, give me that!" he muttered, but he didn't even wait for a response. He snatched the piece out of his friend's hand and threw it into the empty spot into the Millennium Puzzle. It was a perfect fit.

There was a golden glow that blinded Marik and Bakura, before a dark purple mist slowly floated out of the Puzzle like smoke drifting out of a chimney. The mist swirled around into a sort-of pillar in the air, before a figure glowing gold shown through the smoke.

"_OI_!" the figure coughed.

He materialized a fan out of thin air and blew away the dark purple mist so that Bakura could see him.

He was a bit shorter than Marik, with black and purple hair and lightning-like gold bangs limping down onto his shoulders and over his ruby-red eyes, and was currently dressed in a white bathrobe.

"I really have to do something about this awful intro," the man growled to himself, "_Honestly_, has anybody around here heard of _asthma_? Oh, well…"

The fan disappeared and a dressing-room make-up table complete with a tall mirror took its place. The man took one look into the mirror and shrieked like a girl.

"Five thousand years stuck inside a Puzzle requires a _serious_ touch-up!"

The stranger scooped some gel out of a container with the bright-red words _"Hair Gel,"_ on it and combed it through his hair. He shook his head like a dog trying to get dry after a bath, and his hair spiked up off his head as if he had been electrocuted. Then he pulled out a container of eyeliner and penciled it around his sharp-angled eyes as to make them more prominent on his lightly tanned face. Finally he materialized an open-door closet filled with various outfits and stepped behind a newly created bathroom curtain and changed into pair of black leather pants and a black shirt with a few silver zippered pockets and a buckle around the collar.

"_There_ we go," the pointy-haired man smiled at himself in the mirror.

Bakura and Marik suddenly felt themselves being bowled over; a bunch of girls had appeared out of nowhere and were now pouncing on top of the stranger like a cat on a mouse.

"_AH_!" he tried to pry the crazy women off of him, "Ow! Leave me alone! Get off me, you stupid-! _Ow_!"

An obvious, cartoon light bulb went up over his head, before he called over the girls' screaming, "_Hey_! Guess what, girls? There's a sale on signed pictures of me at the mall! But it closes in fifteen minutes, so you better hurry over there to get them!"

The girls immediately ran off in the other direction, still screaming frantically at the top of their lungs.

"_Whew_…that got rid of _them_…" the man sighed.

"HEY!" Marik snapped, looking both angry and freaked, "YOU MIND EXPLAINING WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?"

The man jumped when he saw the two thieves, before disappearing in a poof of purple smoke.

Marik blinked. "…_huh_?"

"Nice going there, Marik," Bakura scorned as he rolled his eyes, "You scared him off."

"He did _NOT_ scare me!" the man argued indignantly as he appeared next to Bakura, making him jump, "I _never_ get scared!"

"Oh, whatever," said Marik with a scowl, "Who are you, what are you doing here and why were all those girls chasing you?"

The man blinked his prominent eyes in amazement. "You mean…you don't know who I _am_?"

"Uh…no," Bakura replied.

The man's face went into a grin. "That's freaking _awesome_! I've never been able to _introduce_ myself before: everybody I've met already knows my name, address, marital status and favorite color!"

The man jumped over Bakura like a bullfrog jumping to a larger lily pad, and a spotlight lit up the area where he was standing.

"I am Yami," the man said grandly, as he did a twirl fit for a rock star, "The All-Powerful Genie interned inside the Millennium Puzzle! I am here because one of you fit the last piece into the Puzzle, freeing me from my prison and allowing me to grant three wishes to my liberator! Just beware of my fangirls."

"Fangirls?" repeated Marik with a raised eyebrow.

Yami sighed in irritation as the spotlight turned off. "You have no idea how _annoying_ they can be…they follow me everywhere, and now I can even add outside the Puzzle to the places they go. The main problem is that I don't like any of them. How _can_ I, when I'm in love with the most wonderful boy in the history of the world…who unfortunately is under a curse cast on him because of my love."

Yugi the Magic Carpet flew over next to Yami, and gave him a sort-of hug, his tassels interlocking together around the Genie's neck.

Yami looked at the carpet with wide eyes. "_Yugi_? Is that _you_, Aibou?"

The Magic Carpet clapped its tassels together to say yes.

Yami looked like he was going to cry. "Oh, _Aibou_, it _is_ you! I thought I'd never see you again!"

Yugi hugged onto Yami tighter as if to agree.

"Wait, wait, hold up," Marik said, looking flabbergasted, "_That's_ your boyfriend?"

Yami looked at Marik heatedly. "You got a _problem_ with that, punk?"

Yugi hit Yami on the back of the head with one of his tassels.

"_OW_! What I do?" whined Yami.

Yugi folded his tassels as if he were crossing his arms.

"Oh _fine_, Aibou," Yami muttered, "I'll be nice…but only for _your _sake…"

He then turned to look at Marik and Bakura. "Okay, which one of you put the last piece of the Puzzle in?"

The two friends eyed each other, before Marik jabbed his thumb at Bakura.

"Ha," Yami smirked, "Figures my master would be the smarter one of the two. Either that, or he's just quieter. Anyway…dude, listen closely: I can grant you three wishes. That's it, just three: I can't take back your wishes if you change your mind or give you more, so make those wishes count. You can wish for anything you want, as long as you follow my provisos. First of all, I've got to start out with the elementary rule that I can't do anything to someone with another Millennium Item unless they are willing to go along with the wish. I also made some others to try and prevent disasters waiting to happen: I can't kill anybody, I can't make anybody fall in love with anybody else, and I can't bring anybody back from the dead. Other than that, though, the sky's the limit!"

Bakura thought a moment, before a wicked idea came to his mind.

"_Provisos_…so you're basically saying you have _limitations_ to your wish-granting abilities?" here he snorted, "Some all-powerful Genie _you_ are. You can't even bring people back from the dead!"

Yami's face morphed into a very ugly look.

"You _dare_ doubt my magical abilities?" he shouted, floating a little way up off the ground as to look Bakura right in the eye, "You _DARE_ challenge me after you went to all this trouble of putting together my Puzzle, waking me up and bringing me out here? _I don't think so_!"

"If you're so all-powerful," Bakura merely smirked at Yami's angry face, "Then _prove_ it!"

"Tell me something, and I'll complete it without breaking a _sweat_!" Yami snarled back.

"I bet you can't even get us out of this stupid cave," Bakura mocked immediately, as if he were pulling the idea out of thin air.

Yami's mouth twisted up in a determined smirk. "Well then, dude: prepare to be proven wrong! Get onto Yugi the Magic Carpet. All aboard!"

Yugi let both Marik and Bakura climb onto him, before Yami jumped on in front of them.

"Hot-Rug-13, you're now ready for lift-off," the Genie spoke through a newly-appeared astronaut's radio communicator in a feminine voice, before his voice went back to normal to say, "Roger: start count down! 5…4…3…2…1…_BLAST OFF_!"

And Yugi shot straight up toward the rocky ceiling; Bakura's eyes widened in horror, and he shut his eyes as they got ready to wham right into the ceiling…

Except they never hit it.

Bakura opened his eyes and looked around.

_They were out!_

Below them the desert sand shone silver, white and gold in the early morning sunrise, and over toward the opposite horizon as the sun was the Sultan's palace.

Thinking of Ryou, Bakura's face went into a large grin. Maybe…just _maybe_…he'd have a chance at the Prince's heart after all.

"_WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_!" the white-haired thief whooped so loud that he rivaled Kaiba's shouts of fury at losing the Puzzle.

* * *

After a few minutes, Yugi landed in an oasis right outside of the city, and Yami looked smugly over at Bakura. 

"Well? How about _that_, Mr. Doubting-My-Powers?"

"_Ooh_, you sure showed me," Bakura replied sarcastically.

He paused for effect, and then added, "Now, about my three wishes…" 

Yami made a fake cough. "_Three_? Excuse me…I think I heard you _wrong_. I thought you said _three_ wishes. Allow me to _correct_ you, dude: you're down to _two_."

"No, allow _me_ to correct _you_," Bakura smirked, "I never _wished_ to get out of the cave: I only _dared_ you. You didn't _have_ to do what I said."

Yami opened his mouth to speak, but then he realized that Bakura was right. His pointy hair drooped as if it were a flower that wilted.

"_Well_…that makes me feel really _stupid_," the Genie pursed his lips as he crossed his arms, "Okay, dude, that was your _one_ freebie. But you ain't getting any more."

"Fair deal," Bakura shrugged, before sitting down on the sand near the small oasis pond.

"So…three wishes, huh?" asked Marik as he leaned against a palm tree nearby, "You better make 'em real good…"

Bakura didn't say anything to that. Then he looked at Yami, and said, "What would you wish for?"

Yami blinked in surprise, his hair shooting back up into the electrocuted-looking style it had been in before. "Me?"

"Yeah, you," Bakura nodded.

Yami frowned in thought. "Sorry…it's just…no one's ever _asked_ me that before…well, I guess in my case…I wish for a Genie's freedom."

"You're a prisoner?" asked Bakura.

"To the person who controls the Puzzle," agreed Yami, "If I were free, I'd be able to be my own master...to use my magic to do what_ I_ want to do…and if I could do that, I'd lift Yugi's curse."

"You said something about a curse before and I wondered what you meant," Marik said, "But I didn't get the chance to ask."

Yami sighed, looking at Yugi sadly as his boyfriend lay flat across his lap.

"Well, you see, I wasn't _always _a Genie," he explained as he stroked the interlocking strings of the Magic Carpet, "I was once a Prince…and Yugi here was my servant boy and best friend since I was very young. When I got older I fell in love with Yugi, and he fell in love with me. Sadly, my father didn't approve of having a homosexual ruler, let alone a homosexual ruler who married a servant boy, so he engaged me to a princess of another kingdom. When my father died and I was to marry that princess, I turned her down…that turned out to be an awful mistake, because that princess had been learning sorcery. In jealousy and anger, she changed Yugi into a Magic Carpet. She said that since Yugi was no longer human, it would be impossible for me to love him, which is, of course, ridiculous. Sure, I won't be able to kiss him or show him that much affection in other ways, and he can't exactly talk to me, but I would never stop loving him. Anyway, the princess was furious that I hadn't given up on loving Yugi, so she cursed me to be a Genie. At first, her reasoning was that I would have to grant her wish for me to love her as a Genie: unfortunately, she didn't realize that as a Genie, I could choose the place where I could be locked away. And I chose a supposedly unsolvable Puzzle that Yugi had given me for one of my birthdays. I can assume the princess died long before she got even close to solving the Puzzle, and that my palace was raided years later by thieves and then stashed down in the Cave of Wonders."

Yugi pointed at Yami with one of his tassels as if to say, _"He's right,"_ before he traced some words out into the sand.

"'_I have been trying to put together the Millennium Puzzle over these years,'_" Yami read Yugi's words out loud, "_'I finished it up to the last piece; the Puzzle almost burnt my tassel when I tried to put the last piece in. I guess non-humans can't free a Genie.'_"

"So when you were pointing at the last piece so significantly, you were trying to tell us to finish the Puzzle and free Yami for you," Marik said in understanding.

Yugi clapped his tassels together.

"Well," Bakura said with a more friendly smirk than was normal, "Considering that Marik helped me find the last Puzzle piece and that Yugi put most of it together, it looks like I'll have split the wishes up three ways…I'll take the first wish, Marik can have the second wish, and then I'll use the third wish to set Yami free so he can turn Yugi back into a human. It's only fair."

Yami was speechless. Yugi leaped off Yami's lap and wrapped itself around Bakura to give him a sort-of hug.

"What's your name, dude?" asked Yami after staring for the longest time.

"Bakura," the white-haired thief replied.

Yami smiled. "Well then, Bakura…your wish is my command! What do you want more than anything in the entire world?"

Bakura blushed red, but tried not to look awkward. "Well…there's this _guy_…"

A red **X** lit up in front of his face.

"WRONG ANSWER!" Yami shook his head as the **X** vanished with a brandish of his hand, "I can't make anybody fall in love, remember?"

Bakura looked down at his hands sadly. "Yeah…yeah, I know."

Yugi put a comforting tassel on Bakura's shoulder, and then, with his other tassel, traced some letters into the sand next to him.

"'_What's he like?'_" Bakura read out loud, "His name's Ryou…he's very attractive. He said he wants to be free to make his own choices, even though he's the Crown Prince. He has to marry a princess, but he's homosexual, so he doesn't like any of them."

Yugi pointed at Yami as if to say, _"That sounds a lot like Yami!"_

"Yeah," Bakura nodded, "But he's quieter than Yami. He's got a nice singing voice…very soothing. Not to mention the fact that I could look into his eyes forever…and that-"

"In short, Bakura's obsessed with him," Marik snickered.

"Well, I guess I can see why you like him," Yami shrugged, "Makes me think of how I used to describe Yugi to my old pals…well, I _did_!" he added when Yugi peered at him like a human would tilt their head, "Anyway, I really wish I could help you with this guy…are you sure there's no other wish you can make to get closer to him?"

"I'm not sure," Bakura frowned in thought, "To even have a chance of _seeing_ Ryou, I'd have to have noble blood, so…"

He froze, not even bothering to finish his sentence. Then, very slowly, his mouth went up into a smile.

"Yami, I wish for you to make me a Prince."


	9. Chapter 8: A New Suitor

_**Chapter 8: A New Suitor**_

"Kaiba, this is an outrage," Solomon was sitting on his golden throne, looking reproachfully down at his grand Vizier, "Were it not for all of your years of loyal service and help to the city, I would be severely punishing you. Well…from now on, you shall discuss sentencing of prisoners with _me_, before something like _this_ happens and an innocent man is killed for a crime he did not commit."

Ryou, who was standing next to the Sultan's throne, looked incensed at the fact that Kaiba was not being punished for Bakura's "death"; after all, the white-haired thief was the only person who'd Ryou had ever felt any real affection for.

Kaiba kneeled in respect, Pegasus not leaving his perch on his shoulder. "I assure you, your Majesty…it will never happen again."

The Grand Vizier looked at Ryou. "I also plead my Prince's forgiveness. If I had known, I never would've had that thief…I mean, _young man_…killed."

Ryou said nothing; he only stared at Kaiba expressionlessly.

Solomon looked at Ryou with a forced smile.

"Ryou," he prodded, "I believe you have something to _say_ to Kaiba?"

Ryou looked up at the Sultan, his usually warm eyes blank. Then after a moment, he whispered, "I _don't_ forgive you."

"_Ryou_!" Solomon looked horrified, and immediately tried to intervene, "Kaiba, I'm so-"

"I'm not done," snapped Ryou, "Let me speak."

Solomon stared in shock; Ryou never snapped at people, especially not him.

"I _don't_ forgive you, Kaiba," Ryou's glaring eyes turned back to Kaiba as he stepped down the small steps of the throne landing to the floor where he had just stood up, "And I never will. The only _comfort_ you can have is that I will not execute you for this. But once I am Sultan, you'll _wish_ I had executed you after the hell I'll put you through."

Ryou and Kaiba held eye contact for a few seconds, furious tan on slightly surprised blue, before the Prince hissed,

"Now get out."

"As you _wish_…my _Liege_," Kaiba said quietly, trying his hardest not to look angered at being threatened by a boy at least a foot shorter and seven years younger than he was, before he turned on his heel and left the throne room.

"_Ryou_…" Solomon struggled to reprimand, "Ryou, it wasn't right for you to say such things. You shouldn't blame _Kaiba_ for-"

"Who _should_ I blame, then?" Ryou interrupted, his eyes filling up with angry tears, "_You_, for not keeping a tab on Kaiba and his unnecessary punishments? Or maybe I should blame _myself_, because I thought that someone might actually like me for who I am instead of what I will inherit as Sultan!"

Solomon looked ready to ask something, but Ryou cut him off.

"Don't even _bother_! You'd never understand!"

And with that, the Prince ran out.

The Sultan sighed in disappointed aggravation.

"Oh, Ryou…"

* * *

Ryou stormed up the stairs and flung open the door to his room. He collapsed down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling in annoyance.

"**_And for once, it would be grand…"_** he sang quietly, **_"For someone to understand…I want so much more than they've got planned…"_**

"Still singing to yourself, I see," an amused voice spoke from the open doorway.

Ryou shot up off of his bed to look at the guest.

She had well-tanned skin, a silver tiara was placed gently in her smooth brown hair, and her eyes matched her green short-sleeved dress.

"Hey, Ryou," the girl grinned at him, "Miss me?"

Ryou screamed in excitement; he jumped off the bed and ran over to give her a friendly hug.

"_Kara_!" he smiled back at her as he pulled away, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Well, after not seeing you for…how many years, _five_? Anyway, after _that_ long of a time, I kind of _had_ to miss you," Kara scolded him playfully, "So I decided to stop by. I tried to explain to your dad that I wasn't trying to marry you, but he seemed _desperate_ to find a possible suitor for you…so I just fibbed that I would try to get you to marry me…hey, it was the only way I could get in to visit you!"

Ryou laughed. "That's okay…I'll just tell Father you aren't my type…as long as you back me up and say I died your hair pink," he added with a wink.

"No problem," Kara replied, "What are friends for?"

It was then that a strange group of cheers and music came from outside the window of Ryou's room.

"What in Ra's name is going on?" Ryou frowned in confusion.

He and Kara headed out onto the balcony and looked down on the city below.

"It looks like a parade," Kara muttered, "Is a holiday or a festival going on now?"

"No," Ryou answered, squinting to look around for the originator of the parade. Then he spotted two figures (one wearing black and the other wearing violet) sitting on top of a float on the back of a large white elephant.

"Who are they?" whispered the Crown Prince.

"Just listen to the song, and you'll know one of them," Kara told him.

So Ryou listened, and when he focused on the parade's song, the lyrics became immediately obvious to his ears.

"_**Prince Ali,  
Mighty is he,  
Ali Bakura!  
Strong as ten regular men, definitely!  
He faced the galloping hordes,  
A hundred bad guys with swords…  
Who sent those goons to their lords?  
Why, Prince Ali!**_

_**He's got seventy-five golden camels:  
Purple peacocks, he's got fifty-three!  
When it comes to exotic-type mammals,  
Has he got a zoo!  
I'm telling you,  
It's a world-class menagerie!**_

_**Prince Ali,  
Handsome is he, Ali Bakura!  
That physique!  
How can I speak?  
Weak at the knee…  
Well, get on out in that square,  
Adjust your veil and prepare  
To gawk and grovel and stare at Prince Ali!"**_

"Prince Ali Bakura?" Ryou blinked, "Well…he's one I've never heard of."

Kara snorted. "Wonder what _he's_ doing _here_, though. He can't just be here to show off."

Ryou frowned. Now that he thought about it, it was a good question. What _was_ this prince doing here?

* * *

Bakura and Marik rode on top of the white elephant custom created by Yami, Yugi lying down between them as the parade entered the palace and stopped, their song ending on an excited note.

"_Bravo_!" Solomon looked enthralled as he clapped his hands, "Absolutely spectacular!"

Bakura tucked the Millennium Puzzle under his baggy black robes as he and Marik boarded Yugi and flew down to the floor to join the Sultan.

"Your Majesty," Bakura kneeled respectfully, "I am Prince Ali Bakura…and this is my brother Mariku. I apologize for not sending a note in advance, but I was a bit tied up with a treasure hunt and had to come pretty much immediately."

"Oh, nonsense!" Solomon was beaming, "It is delightful to make both of your acquaintances! We will be happy to host you until you are fit to return to where you are from."

"That is very kind of you," Bakura inclined his head, "But I am not here for supplies."

The Sultan was obviously surprised. "Oh! Oh, I see…but then why, may I ask, _are_ you here?"

Bakura looked at Marik nervously; his friend nodded encouragingly at him to say, _"Go on."_

So the white-haired man took a deep breath, and explained, "Your Majesty…I wish to seek your son's hand in marriage."

There was a slight silence. Then Solomon stammered, "Oh…Ali, I'm v-very sorry…but the law clearly says that only a _princess_ can marry a prince-"

"But surely the royal blood is the most important thing, isn't it?" Bakura interrupted, trying to sound business-like and not desperate, "And since the Prince has turned down all of his female suitors…perhaps girls aren't his type."

Bakura already knew this was a fact, not a _"perhaps,"_ but the Sultan seemed to be dwelling on that thought.

"You _are_ a very impressive youth, Prince Ali," the Sultan smiled, "I'm sure that Ryou will enjoy your company…he's a bit adventuresome himself."

"Your Highness."

Bakura felt his blood run cold. He knew that voice…somewhere he'd heard that voice before.

A quite tall man with brown hair and cold blue eyes dressed in dark blue robes and holding a golden rod with an Egyptian eye on it walked up next to the throne where the Sultan was sitting.

It was the man who had been controlling Strings…but he didn't seem to recognize Marik or Bakura as the thieves he supposedly killed.

"Oh, Ali," the Sultan said quickly, "This is my grand Vizier, Seto Kaiba. He's my most trusted advisor."

He didn't seem to notice that the look in Bakura and Kaiba's eyes showed that each of them had an involuntary hatred of the other.

"If I may humbly inject my opinion, your Highness," Kaiba told the Sultan as Pegasus landed on his shoulder, "This boy is no different from all the ladies that have come here to seek Prince Ryou's hand. Just because he has a few biceps and an animal zoo is no guarantee that the Crown Prince will like him any more than the others. Besides…" here he glared at Bakura, "What makes this Prince think that he _deserves_ your son?"

Bakura narrowed his eyes in hatred. "I think I can understand him a lot more than those other princesses, Kaiba...and last time _I_ checked, I've never arrested an innocent man and sent him to his death."

Kaiba's eyes flashed dangerously, but knew he couldn't say anything rude in return, as he was technically below Bakura in royal status.

Bakura looked back up at the Sultan, seeing his eyes and knowing he was probably worried a fight would start.

"Don't worry, Your Highness," the thief-turned-prince fought to find words to put him at ease, "Just let Ryou meet me…I'll win him over."

"How _dare_ you," a voice even colder than Kaiba's said from the doorway.

The four men froze. They shot their heads around to look at the doorway, to see Ryou and Kara standing there.

"How _dare_ you stand around and plan _my_ future!" Ryou growled, "I am perfectly able to make my _own_ decisions and judgments without you chaining me down to your ideas! And for the _record_, Prince Ali Bakura, I am _not_ a prize to be won: I am a weapon, aimed directly at you until you go back home and leave me alone!"

The Prince ran out of the room, Kara right behind him. Horrified, Bakura made to follow them, but Solomon stopped him.

"Let him go. He just needs to…cool down a little…"

Bakura looked at the Sultan in surprise, before looking sadly back at the door where his love had yelled at him. This wasn't what he'd envisioned would happen...

"_Ryou_…" his lips mouthed out his name.


	10. Chapter 9: An Attempt at Love

_**Chapter 9: An Attempt at Love**_  


"_Ryou_…" Bakura whispered, his eyes not leaving the balcony where Ryou and the princess were sitting.

The two royals didn't know that Bakura, Marik, Yugi and Yami were sitting down in the garden below the balcony. Marik was currently lying on his back on the stone bench, looking up at the sky in a bored way, and Yugi and Yami had started dueling.

"Bakura, no matter how long you stare up at the balcony, you're not gonna change Ryou's feelings about you," Marik told Bakura in annoyance, "Why don't you just go up there and talk to h-?"

"Damn it, Yugi, you destroyed my best card!" Yami whined.

Yugi crossed his tassels like a person would smugly cross their arms, and then gestured to him to say _"Your move."_

Bakura sighed. "But I don't know what to _say_ to him… _'Oh hi, Ryou! Guess what? I really, really love you unlike all those other stupid bitch princesses even though I've never seen you or met you until now'_?"

Yugi uncrossed his tassels and mimed writing something at Yami; nodding, the Genie made a pad of paper and a pencil appear out of thin air, and Yugi grabbed them to write a response to Bakura's statement.

"'_I think it would be easiest if you just tell Ryou the truth,'_" Yami read his boyfriend's message out loud.

"No way!" Bakura looked horrified, "If Ryou found out I was just a worthless street rat, he'd _never_ want to marry me! What could a thief give him that he doesn't already have? He'd laugh at me!"

"Well, laughter _is_ the best medicine, ya know," Yami joked.

Yugi poked him in the ribs as if to say, _"Oh, stop that!"_ Then he scribbled more words on the notepad, before handing it to Marik.

"'_All joking aside, Bakura,'_" Marik read out loud, "_'If you want him to fall in love with you, it's best to be yourself.'_"

"That's the last thing in the world I want to be right now," Bakura replied coldly.

He took a deep breath, and then stood up stiffly. "Okay…I'm going to go see him…I just have to be calm…cool…confident."

The thief pulled the Millennium Puzzle off of his neck and handing it to the other so-called prince.

"Take care of Yami and the Puzzle while I'm gone, Marik," he told him "Keep it hidden, though…we don't want anyone to see it…especially that Kaiba guy. If he sees it, he'll know we aren't really princes."

Marik nodded, before putting the Puzzle around his neck and tucking it underneath his shirt.

"Yugi," Bakura then looked at the Magic Carpet, "Could you fly me up to the balcony?"

Yugi looked a little hesitant, but after a minute, he gave Yami the pad of paper and the pencil so he could vanish them, and let Bakura board him as he flew up to where Ryou and Kara were sitting above them.

* * *

"Ryou, are you alright?" Kara shuffled her deck of cards as she prepared for a new round of a Solitaire. 

Ryou hadn't said anything since his bout of yelling in the throne room. He was currently stroking Amane's fur, with a brooding look on his face.

"Yes," the white-haired prince replied, "I'm just thinking about how much of a jerk that prince is, that's all."

Kara smiled. "Have to agree with you there: he _was_ quite arrogant to think of you as a prize."

"I was only trying to assure your father, Prince Ryou," said a voice next to them, "I meant no disrespect toward you."

Bakura sat down in a chair between the two royals. Kara looked irritated; Ryou looked shocked.

"How did _you_ get up here?" he demanded.

"I flew," answered Bakura simply, "And I did not know that you considered me a jerk, Your Highness. I was not trying to convey that."

"Well, at least you're a better _actor_ than most of the suitors Ryou meets," Kara scorned, "As I don't believe Ryou's ever told me about one that has pretended to _apologize_."

"_Ha_!" Bakura laughed like a dog bark, "I'm no actor…I'd get kicked off the stage! They wouldn't want someone like _me_ there."

"And neither do _we_," snapped Ryou, "So I will say this only once in a polite tone: _leave us alone_."

Bakura stared at Ryou pensively for a moment. "May I at least ask why you insist on hating me so, Your Highness?"

"Because for once Kaiba was right," Ryou glared, "You _are_ just like all the others who have come here to ask for my hand in marriage."

"Am I?" asked Bakura with a raised eyebrow, "How can you say that when you don't know anything about me?"

Ryou was momentarily speechless. Then he quickly thought of the retort, "Well, if you're egotistical enough to have a song written about how _wonderful_ you are, I think I know enough!"

Bakura sighed in annoyance. He was going to kill Yami for that later.

"I don't really like it either, to be honest," the thief answered, "My…_Grand Vizier_ wrote it, thinking it would get your attention…obviously, it did, but not in the way he was aiming for."

"_Obviously_," Kara and Ryou said together.

Bakura smiled slightly. "But in either case…I will assure you that I absolutely _abhor_ my reflection and try to stay as far away from my long mirror as possible."

Kara actually snorted in slight amusement. "Were you not trying to marry Ryou for money or land I could actually grace you with a compliment on your rehearsed jokes."

"I'm no actor," repeated Bakura, "I don't rehearse…too impatient to put that much effort into the same thing over and over. Much rather go off and search for an adventure or two. I heard from your father you're a bit adventuresome," he added to Ryou, "Are you?"

"Adventuresome to _him_, anyway," muttered Ryou, "He's still in the way of thinking that I shouldn't be able to choose who my own husband will be."

"So I was right," Bakura closed his eyes, "You are homosexual."

"It's none of your business!" growled Ryou.

"No, I guess not," replied Bakura, "I'm bi myself, but I prefer guys. Girls are only fun to flirt with…and I have no intention of ever flirting with you, Miss," he added to Kara as she opened her mouth to speak.

But Ryou had barely heard anything else Bakura said.

"**I'm bi myself, but I prefer guys…"**

Bi? There was only one other person he knew who was bi…

"**I'm bi, why would I care?"**

Ryou looked at the supposed-prince closely. He had white hair too…his dark eyes were almost identical…and there was a scar under his left eye, just like the thief he had meant in the marketplace...

But Kaiba had executed him only just yesterday…

"Your Highness?" Bakura asked, "Are you alright?"

Ryou blinked and came out of his thoughts.

"Yes," he said quickly, "Thank you for asking."

There was a silence: then Ryou spoke again.

"You said that you…_flew_ up here. How did you do that?"

Bakura blinked in surprise too, before his mouth went up into a grin. "I'll show you."

He stood up and gestured to something below the balcony. "Yugi! Yugi, come on up here and meet Prince Ryou!"

Yugi flew up to the balcony as to join Bakura. Kara shot backwards in surprise: Ryou's eyes widened.

"_A Magic Carpet_," the Prince realized, "_You_ have a Magic Carpet?"

Bakura nodded, the grin not leaving his face. "His name's Yugi. He's a friend of mine. He can't talk or anything, but I can understand him to a certain extent, although no doubt my Grand Vizier understands him more."

Yugi shook Ryou's hand in his tassel cheerfully.

"He's very friendly," the prince laughed.

Then, to Bakura's surprise, Ryou looked at him shyly. "Do you think I could…ride him?"

Bakura's grin widened. "No problem! Come on up."

The tanned Egyptian climbed onto Yugi, before helping the pale prince up onto the carpet also. "So, Yugi," Bakura spoke to the rug, "Where do you want to go?" 

Yugi folded his tassels as if he were thinking, before doing a thumbs-up as to say that he'd thought of something.

"I suggest you hold onto me," Bakura advised Ryou, "Sometimes Yugi gets a little ahead of himself."

Ryou blushed, a little annoyed at what he thought was Bakura trying to flirt with him, but didn't get a chance to retort with anything, for Yugi had shot off into the air like a turbo-jet.

Bakura grabbed Ryou's hand and pulled him straight. "Sorry…I tried to warn you."

Ryou looked a little bit sheepish. "You _did_ warn me…I just didn't expect to your meaning_ seriously_..."

The Prince looked over the Magic Carpet, and his eyes widened.

"_The desert_! I've never ever seen the desert before!"

"Well, now you have," Bakura said in slight amusement.

Ryou looked farther and saw familiar triangles scattering around the landscape.

"The _Pyramids_! And the _Nile_! And the _Sphinx_! I can't believe I can finally see what they look like up close!"

He looked at Bakura excitedly. "This is so amazing!" 

The thief merely smiled: then he looked around Yugi to try and figure out where the rug was taking them.

"Judging by the way Yugi's going," he said at last, "I see he's not going to bring you down anytime soon…I apologize, I wasn't _planning_ a date."

Ryou flushed and looked down shyly. "Well…I don't _really_ mind…if Yugi really doesn't want to…and I could see more of Egypt," he added quickly as his cheeks became even redder.

Bakura grinned. "And maybe _more_ than Egypt, if you'd like. Yugi's taking us over the sea…it shouldn't be long until we'll be in Greece."

Ryou's eyes lit up. "_Greece_? Really?"

"Sure," Bakura replied, "I've never been there, but I've heard plenty…it'll be a new experience for the both of us."

Ryou felt as if he was floating on air…then again, technically he was.

"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot, Prince Ali."


	11. Chapter 10: The Tables Turn

_**Chapter 10: The Tables Turn**_

Kara had been waiting at the balcony for a while, and was feeling a little worried that her friend and the foreign prince had not yet returned.

'_They looked like they were flying pretty far away,'_ Kara thought to herself,_ 'That prince had obviously been trying to win Ryou's affections…why that conniving snake, he must have planned this all along! If only I knew where they went!' _

She thought for a moment: then an idea occurred to her. _'Wait…doesn't that Prince Ali have a brother…? Yeah, his name was Mariku…I bet he'd know…looks like I'll have to make him tell me…'

* * *

_

Marik had not moved from his place on the stone bench in the royal gardens. Yami was sitting next to him, looking very forlorn since Yugi wasn't with him, and to pass the time, the two started a game of Duel Monsters.

"I sacrifice Beaver Warrior to summon Curse of Dragon," muttered Yami dully, "And fuse it with Gaia the Fierce Knight to create Gaia the Dragon Champion. Then I play a card facedown and end my turn. Your move."

Marik drew a card. "I play a monster in defense mode. Then I-"

"Prince Mariku!" said a voice.

Marik whirled around to see a rather beautiful girl with tanned skin, brown hair and flashing green eyes. Her hands were on her hips, as if annoyed.

At first Marik was worried that she might have seen Yami, but when he turned back around, the Genie was dressed in bright red robes that were styled a lot like Kaiba's Grand Vizier robes and winking at him to assure him she didn't see anything suspicious.

"May I help you?" Marik asked, trying to sound cool as he stood up casually.

Kara glared. "Your brother took Ryou on a ride on his Magic Carpet and they still haven't returned. You mind telling me where they went?"

Marik shrugged. "No clue."

"Don't give me that," snapped Kara, poking Marik in the chest and putting their face barely inches away from each other, "Your brother is just like all the other princes who have come here, trying ever-so-casually to take Ryou away from the palace on a date as to charm him with money and riches! Just because Ryou actually _let_ him take him somewhere for once does _NOT_ mean that Ali didn't plan this trip from the beginning, obviously finding an exact place that will show him in a good light with his associates, so tell me where they went!"

Marik stared at Kara in surprise. This princess was a bit spoiled, of course, for expecting him to tell her where Ryou and Bakura were just like that, but he could see in her eyes that it was all due to her friendly concern for Ryou.

At last he said, "Ba…I mean, _Ali_…is much too impatient to plan anything out, and I assure you that this date was quite unexpected. He thought that Ryou would never accept a date, so he thought he'd make sure that Ryou knew that he didn't mean to offend him in any way."

"You…you _liar_!" spat Kara, "You _have_ to know where they went! You're Ali's _brother_, for crying out loud! _Surely_ he'd tell you where he was planning to go!"

Marik shook his head. "Not even Ali gets to decide…Yugi figures out everything to do with where he's going. I wish I could help you, but I'm afraid I can't."

Kara stared at Marik in disbelief, the anger fading from her face.

"Oh," she finally said after a pause, looking quite crestfallen.

Marik put a hand on her shoulder, feeling the urge to try and cheer her up.

"They'll be back soon," he assured her, "I doubt Ali would keep Ryou away from home longer than he really wanted to."

Kara laughed shortly. "We'll see."

Marik sat down on the bench, noticing as he did that Yami had vanished back into the Puzzle under his robes, taking the cards along with him.

"What's your name?" the blond asked.

"Takara," the princess replied.

"Takara," Marik continued, feeling a little flutter in his chest as he said her name, "If you're still worried about your friend, I can assure you that Ali won't hurt Ryou in any way."

Kara snorted. "I wish I could believe that."

"Ali sympathizes with the young Prince," Marik chose his words carefully, "He knows how it feels to be trapped in a never-ending circle of boredom."

"Oh yeah, he must have a _really_ boring life," scorned Kara, "Riding a Magic Carpet and going after treasure is _so _unexciting…"

"Hey, it's not often that Ali gets to have excitement," Marik said defensively, "And he sort of knows how it feels to be judged because he likes guys too…any guy he hangs out with can be accused of being his sex-toy."

Kara eyed Marik with a slightly curious eye. "And what about you? Don't you have problems like that?"

Marik smirked. "Not really. Adventure doesn't appeal as much to me…I'd much rather stay near home…find a girl and raise a family, you know?"

Kara blinked in surprise. "So you're heterosexual."

"Yeah," Marik shrugged, "But I haven't found a suitor yet either. None of the girls I've met before now have ever appealed to me that much."

Kara looked as if his statement had whacked her on the head. "…_'Before now?'_"

Marik's eyes had a glint of mischief in them. "You're the first girl that I've ever had a real attraction to in my life."

Kara blushed furiously.

"I…I will not merit that with an answer," she stammered as she turned away.

Marik inclined his head. "As you wish, Takara."

There was a pause.

"Kara," the princess said abruptly.

"What?" Marik asked.

"Call me Kara," she explained. It sounded like she was trying to be blunt, but couldn't really force that tone into her voice.

Marik smiled. "Very well…Kara."

* * *

Stars were coming into view across the midnight-blue sky as Ryou and Bakura sat on a grassy hill to let Yugi have a rest from his long flight to Greece. After going into the town, shopping a little and then heading down to a crowded restaurant to eat, the two white-haired men were both a bit overwhelmed. The silence seemed to comfort the both of them after their little adventure.

"Ali?" Ryou spoke at last.

"Yes, Ryou?" Bakura looked at him as if worried that there was something wrong.

"Ali…I really don't know how to say this," the Prince began awkwardly, "But it seems that I was wrong about you. You _aren't_ like the others…and for that, I apologize."

Bakura looked startled. "You had every right to think that way-"

"I shouldn't have judged you before I met you," Ryou argued, a smile coming onto his face, "I'm sure…you must hear this a lot from your admirers…but you are a wonderful person, Ali."

Bakura felt himself go red. "That…that's kind of you to say."

There was a pause. Then Ryou stood up and said, "Ali…there's something I must ask you…something very important."

Bakura stood also, feeling a little awkward.

"What is it?" he asked.

Ryou took his hand and looked deeply into his eyes. "Prince Ali Bakura…"

He went onto one knee, not letting go of Bakura's hand or breaking eye contact with him.

"Will you marry me?"

Bakura stared into the slightly shorter man's eyes in amazement, before his face broke into a grin larger than anyone had ever seen before and he practically shouted, "_YES_! YES, RYOU, _YES_!"

Bakura pulled Ryou into his arms and twirled him around once before placing him back on the ground. The thief's dark eyes were filled with tears of joy as he and Ryou, for the first time, shared a loving kiss.

* * *

Kara pulled away from Marik, feeling her lips and looking slightly surprised. Marik's tanned face was slightly red in embarrassment.

"Mariku," Kara looked slightly awkward as she toyed with a lock of hair near her face, "I wonder…after Ryou and Bakura return…will you…come back with me to my Kingdom? My parents…have yet to find me a suitor…and I'm sure they'd be very impressed with you…as am I," she added, her cheeks going red also.

Marik stared for a moment; then he kissed Kara gently once more.

"I will," he said, "I promise."

Suddenly Marik was jerked backward. A royal guard had seized him and was locking shackles around his wrists and legs as another guard grabbed Kara. They both struggled, looking shocked and terrified and yelling angry words at the top of their lungs.

"YOU LET ME GO! YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH-"

"LEAVE US ALONE! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?"

"It's not what _they_ want, it's what _I_ want," said a cold voice.

A tall figure with a multicolored parrot on his shoulder stepped out of the shadows, and Marik's eyes narrowed in furious recognition at the sight of him.

"_Kaiba_!" he snarled, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"That's none of your concern, Prince Miroku," Kaiba mocked.

"It's _Mariku_!" snapped Kara.

"Whatever," the Grand Vizier sneered, fixing her with an arrogant eye, "As for you, my dear, I would suggest you keep your temper."

" You are below me in class!" Kara glared at him, "I don't have to anything _you_ suggest!"

"Don't you?" Kaiba asked as he took the Millennium Rod out of his pocket and pointed it at Kara, "My Millennium Rod can control you quite easily, you know."

"You _stole_ that, didn't you?" Kara hissed, "Only _royalty_ are allowed to hold the Millennium Items if they're not being locked away! And even if you _do_ have the Millennium Rod, my Millennium Necklace protects me from you!"

"Whether or not I stole it does not matter," Kaiba replied coldly, "As for your Necklace…" he used his Rod to reach under the collar of her robes and pull the Millennium Necklace into sight, "…it is your choice whether or not my Item affects you…and I think I know what will make you accept my terms."

"And what's _that_?" spat Kara.

Kaiba smirked evilly, before pulling a knife out of the Millennium Rod and pointing the blade at the chained Marik's throat. "I can kill your little boyfriend."

Kara's eyes widened in horror, and she doubled her escape attempts. "You leave Mariku out of this, Kaiba!"

"Make your choice, Princess," Kaiba didn't look intimidated in the least, "Either let me control you…or lose your future husband. It's your call."

The Princess looked at the knife, to Kaiba, and then to Marik, looking more terrified than she'd ever been in her life.

"_Please_, Kara," the thief pleaded, "Don't listen to him! Don't worry about me, Kara!"

Kara's eyes filled with tears, and she hung her head. "If you promise not to hurt Mariku, Kaiba…I'll do whatever you say."

"_NO_!" Marik shouted, "NO, KARA, DON'T! _KARA_!"

But Kaiba only smirked in triumph as he grabbed Kara's wrist and pulled her away into the darkness.


	12. Chapter 11: Some Magical Aid

_**Chapter 11: Some Magical Aid**_

Bakura helped Ryou step off of Yugi and back onto his balcony, and the Prince looked up at him with his eyes shining.

"Ali, I really enjoyed tonight," Ryou murmured, "You gave me…more than I ever could've _hoped_ for…I barely know how I will ever be able to thank you."

"You don't need to thank me for anything, Ryou," Bakura shook his head, "You're everything I've ever wanted…you're kind, innocent, exciting, understanding. I don't need anything else."

He kissed Ryou on the forehead, before adding as a whisper, "Good night."

The thief-turned-prince climbed back onto Yugi and, with one final wistful smile, disappeared from Ryou's sight.

The Prince stood on the balcony for a moment and stared at the place where Bakura had been, as if replaying his words in his head over and over again.

"_And as I ring these bells tonight,"_ Ryou sang quietly, _"My cold dark tower seems so bright…I swear it must be heaven's light…"

* * *

_

Bakura sighed as Yugi drifted him down to the ground.

"For the first time in my life, Yugi," he confided quietly, "Things are actually going right."

It was then that he felt his wrists being seized and locked into metal handcuffs by Kemo, the Captain of the Guards; Yugi was pulled out from under him and tied around a nearby tree in a tight knot by a lesser guard. Marik, who Bakura now realized had been trying to yell out to him before he was captured, was gagged and tied to a tree opposite to where Yugi was.

"I'm afraid you've worn out your welcome, _your Highness_," Kaiba hissed as he stepped into sight, "In order to have my plans proceed smoothly, I must dispose of you. But don't take it _personally_: I just don't like you enough to keep you _alive_ so you can suffer."

"_Awk_! Suffer!" Pegasus squawked nastily from his shoulder.

"_You_…!" Bakura muttered furiously, "What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Nothing you'd need to be concerned with," Kaiba replied, "Since you'll soon be _dead_."

"If you hurt Ryou, Marik or Yugi, you'll be _sorry_, Kaiba!" Bakura growled.

"Thanks to a deal made by his little girlfriend Princess Takara, your brother is safe…for _now_, anyway," the Grand Vizier smirked, "Your rug has no immediate use at present; if I even can _use_ him, I'll have to beat him a nice amount beforehand, he's probably very dirty. And as for the Crown Prince…he'll have his marriage…"

Here Kaiba moved closer to Bakura so only he could hear him. "…And I'll have power over both the King and Queen of Egypt."

Bakura's eyes widened in horror, but a gag stifled his furious remark.

"Make sure his body is never found," Kaiba told the Captain of the Guards.

"And what should we do with his brother if you're keeping him alive?" Kemo asked.

"Send him to the dungeon for now," Kaiba replied, "I'll take care of him later."

"Yes, sir," Kemo saluted, before starting to tug Bakura by his chains off of the palace grounds. Over his shoulder, he told the two other guards, "Lock up the boy and the rug: I won't be too long."

"Yes, sir," the lesser guards said together, and the Captain went out of sight.

"You get the rug, Viv," muttered one of the guards (a short blond girl with pigtails and sharp blue-green eyes), "I'll get the prince."

But when the other guard (a tall, black-haired girl with two pink buns on top of her head) went to grab Yugi, the Magic Carpet flew out of her grip and into the tree. A few seconds later, she felt herself being pelted with fruit.

"Oh no, my dress!" she squealed, trying to block the fruit from staining her dress further.

"Forget about your dress!" yelled the blond girl, "Get the rug!"

The black-haired girl struggled to climb the tree to get Yugi, but the Carpet quickly grabbed her by her skirt with his tassel and flew her up into the air. The guard kicked and screamed at the top of her lungs, but Yugi paid no attention as he hung her off one of the tree branches on the top of the tree and flew back down to handle the other guard.

The blond girl tried to stab Yugi with her spear as to pin him to the ground; the rug zoomed out of the way, zooming around the girl and grabbing her pigtails as to pull her straight into the fountain.

Yugi crossed his tassels in satisfaction, before he flew over to untie Marik from the tree.

"Thanks a bunch, Yugi," Marik smiled at the Carpet, "Now let's hurry up and save Bakura."

* * *

Marik ran to the edge of the cliff where he had watched Kemo throw Bakura off into the sea, looking around wildly and trying to think of something to do.

At last, he said,

"Yugi, I'm jumping in to help him. Go back to the castle and try to stall whatever Kaiba's-"

Yugi stopped him before he could continue; he reached under Marik's purple robes and tugged the Millennium Puzzle into sight.

Marik stared at the Item for a moment, before he grinned. "Yugi, you're a genius."

Yugi gestured with his tassel as if to say, _"It's nothing."_

Marik shook the Puzzle a little and said, "Yami! Yami, come out, we need your help!"

Suddenly Yami came running out of the Puzzle, about a hundred fan-girls chasing after him and shouting at the top of his lungs.

"AH! _Ow_! Stop it! Stupid fan-girls…_OW_! Get off! Hey, girls, guess what? I just made a movie of my most wonderful moments: you better go get tickets and watch it! Now _SCRAM_!"

And the girls ran off the palace grounds and out of sight.

"Whew," the Genie sighed, "Am I glad that's over. Now…what's going on, Marik?"

"Bakura's drowning," the platinum-blond thief replied, "I need you to save his life."

Yami blinked. "Marik, I can't give you or Bakura any more freebees…this is your only wish-"

"It's also my only chance to help Bakura and stop Kaiba," Marik interrupted, "I wish for you to save Bakura's life."

"Okay!" the Genie said, before he dived like an Olympic swimmer into the water.

A few moments later, Yami was flying up out of the water and into the air on the back of a Winged Dragon Duel Monster, carrying Bakura with him.

The Dragon landed next to Marik and Yugi; Yami leapt off of it, dragging Bakura with him, before it vanished.

Bakura coughed up some water and blinked a couple of times before he could see Marik, Yugi and Yami in focus.

"Are you okay, Bakura?" asked Marik.

Yugi wrapped around Bakura to help him get warm; the white-haired thief nodded slowly.

"Yeah," he replied, a smile coming onto his face, "Thanks, guys."

"You're kidding, right?" laughed Yami, "We weren't gonna have you die on us…I can't bring people back from the dead, remember?"

"Yeah," Bakura replied as he stood up, "Anyway, we've got to get back to the castle: Kaiba's going to try and use Ryou to take over Egypt."

"He also took Kara," Marik moaned, "He said he was going to control her with his Millennium Rod to do something."

"Who's Kara?"

"Princess Takara," Marik explained with a slight blush, "She's…a friend of Ryou's."

"I see," Bakura smirked in understanding at his friend's blush. Then he became serious again and said, "Yugi, take us back to the palace, and hurry!"

Yugi gave a thumbs-up, before he had the two thieves board him and started flying back to the palace.

* * *

Ryou read a leather-bound book on his bed, absently stroking Amane's fur and humming a tune quietly to himself.

"Ryou."

The Prince looked up to see Solomon in the doorway.

"Oh, Father," he stood up, smiling warmly, "I just had the most exciting day in my entire life! I couldn't be happier."

"No, you can't, Ryou," said the Sultan in an odd monotone, "For I have chosen a suitor for you."

Ryou looked at his father in surprise, and for the first time, noticed how blank his eyes looked. "_What_…?"

"You will wed Takara tomorrow afternoon," Solomon stated, as both Kara and Kaiba stepped into the room.

"_Kara_?" Ryou repeated in shock, "But Kara and I…we don't like each other that way!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ryou," Kara spoke in a similar monotone to Solomon, "We've always been right for one another. _Always_."

She tried pulling Ryou into a hug from behind, but the young man pulled out of her arms.

"Kara, I've never liked you that way," he told her, "And you've never liked me! We're just _friends_…I asked Prince Ali to marry me."

"Prince Ali left," injected Kaiba, his Millennium Rod in clear sight, "Along with his brother and his servants."

"Fascinating," said a cold voice from the window, "I don't _recall _ever planning to leave Ryou alone."

It was Bakura, and behind him was Marik and Yugi the Magic Carpet.

"Ali!" Ryou realized, running over to him and embracing him. Bakura kissed his cheek in a comforting way.

Kaiba looked shocked, and so did the multi-colored parrot on his shoulder.

"How the _hell _is he-?" started Pegasus, before he realized he was in company, "Uh…_Awk_!"

"Tell them the _truth_, Kaiba," hissed Bakura, "You tried to have me _killed_!"

"_What_? Ridiculous nonsense!" Kaiba shot back, holding his Millennium Rod awfully close to the Sultan's face, "Your Highness, he's obviously _lying_."

"Obviously…lying," repeated Solomon vaguely.

"Obviously," recurred Kara.

"Ali's not a liar!" cried Ryou, "Father, Kara, what's _wrong _with you?"

"I know what's wrong," snarled Marik, as he seized the Millennium Rod right out of Kaiba's and hurled the Item hard into the floor, breaking it in two.

Both Kara and Solomon blinked rapidly, their light in their eyes returning, and held their heads as if they were in pain.

"Kara," Marik dropped the broken Millennium Item and ran to her, "Are you alright, Kara?"

"Mariku," she whispered, her eyes widening; then she threw herself into his arms, "Oh _Mariku_, you're _alright_! I was so _worried_!"

"Your Highness," Bakura spoke to the Sultan, "Kaiba has been controlling you and Princess Takara with that Rod."

"W-w-what?" Solomon stammered, before his eyes shot to Kaiba and the broken Item in fury, "Kaiba…you…you _traitor_! Guards! _Guards_!"

But instead of running, Kaiba stood perfectly still, his sapphire eyes quite wide. It was only when he smirked did Bakura realize that Marik had forgotten to tuck the Millennium Puzzle back under his robes…and that Kaiba had seen it.

"No need to call the guards, Your Majesty," Kaiba whispered coldly, "They will have no prisoner to capture. And to the Princes Bakura…" his eyes narrowed at Bakura and Marik, "I expect you to _replace_ my Millennium Item."

And he disappeared in a blast of blue smoke.


	13. Chapter 12: Ex Prince Ali

_**Chapter 12: Ex-Prince Ali**_

Bakura was lying down on his silken bed, looking up at the ceiling and thinking to himself when Marik, accompanied by Yugi and holding the Millennium Puzzle in one hand, opened the door and came into the room.

Yami flew out of the Puzzle and landed with a thump on Bakura's bed cheerfully. "Hey, dude! Or should I say, _'Hello, future Sultan'_?"

"Hi, Bakura," Marik greeted, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey," Bakura replied dully.

Yami blinked in surprise at the thief's pessimism. "Whoa, what's up with _you_? If you were any bluer, I'd think you were Violet Beauregarde on her way to the juicing room."

The Genie blew up like a giant blueberry to try and cheer Bakura up, but the thief's expression didn't change.

"I'm not _sad_," he explained, "I'm just…a little nervous."

"Marriage anxieties?" Yami asked much like a psychologist would, as he deflated like a balloon.

Bakura shrugged. "You could say that."

"But you've won Ryou's affections, haven't you?" Marik asked, looking puzzled, "Why are you nervous?"

"It's not about marrying Ryou," sighed Bakura, "It's what'll come _with_ it. I'll have to be _Sultan_! I don't know how to rule anything!"

"You'll still have Ryou to share the responsibility," Yami pointed out, "And he's been taught to do this his whole life. Hey, if you're _still_ anxious, this would be a good time to tell Ryou the truth."

"Oh yeah, telling him just as we're getting married," Bakura muttered sarcastically, "_'I do…oh, and by the way, I'm not a prince, I'm a filthy street rat who isn't even supposed to be marrying you at all, Ryou!'_"

"You're exaggerating," Yami said reassuringly, "If Ryou _really_ loves you, it won't matter what you are. Besides, it's not like you have any more wishes to try and change anything you've done…I mean, you're going to free me soon so I can help Yugi, so…"

It was here that Yami caught an awkward flash in Bakura's eye, and the Genie froze.

"…You're not going to free me," he whispered at last.

"Yami, Kaiba's planning to take revenge-" Bakura started.

"You _promised_," Yami interrupted, his red eyes flashing with fury.

"He's a _sorcerer_, we would have no chance against him-"

"We made a _deal_!" Yami shouted.

"If I free you now, we'd have no hope against Kaiba!"

"_We_?" Yami repeated as a hiss, "_We_? What do you mean _'We?' _Dude, there is no _we_: it's just _you_! It's always been _you_! You got what you wanted! You got your true love! But you don't even have enough decency to keep your promises to the people who helped you get to where you are! Then again…you've lied to everyone _else_ around here…I guess Yugi and I would've felt a bit left out, huh? Now, if you'll excuse me…_Master_," he added coldly, "I have to brood on the fact that Yugi will never be human again all thanks to a good-for-nothing thief play-acting as a Sultan!"

And with a _poof_ of purple smoke, Yami disappeared back into the Puzzle.

"Yami…I'm sorry-" Bakura tried to apologize.

Yami blew a raspberry from inside the Puzzle in response, and Bakura finally lost his temper.

"Well, _fine_!" the thief snapped, throwing the Puzzle across the room and into the opposite wall, "Just…_stay_ in there, you stupid Genie!"

There was a silence. Bakura looked up at Marik, who looked astonished, and Yugi, who wasn't moving at all as if to respond to what he had just done.

Very, very slowly, the Magic Carpet flew up to Bakura so that he was right in front of him; if Yugi had eyes, he'd likely be staring at him.

_SLAP_!

Bakura felt a shot of pain on his cheek; he gripped it, staring at Yugi in surprise. Then the Magic Carpet flew out the door without another motion.

Marik and Bakura both stared at each other for a moment, completely speechless. After a few moments went by, the white-haired man spoke.

"What am I doing?" he muttered, rubbing his cheek absently.

He sighed, and continued, "They're right…they're both right. I…I should tell Ryou the truth. A lot of my problems will be solved if I just tell him."

Marik didn't say anything at first; then he asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Bakura replied firmly.

Marik smiled. "Okay, then: if you're going to tell Ryou, then I'll tell Kara too."

Bakura smiled back at his friend as he got up off the bed. "I think Ryou's father is announcing the wedding to the city right now…we can tell them there."

The two thieves left the room, not even thinking about the Millennium Puzzle still resting against the opposite wall, and were too far away to see a multicolored parrot fly in and snatch the Puzzle's chain in one of its claws before flying away out the window.

* * *

"Citizens," Solomon announced to the crowd gathered outside the palace, "My son, Prince Ryou, has finally chosen a suitor. He and his new fiancé shall inherit…"

Ryou vaguely listened to his father's speech; he and Kara were standing to the side of the balcony, as not to overshadow the Sultan while he was speaking, and both of them were a little concerned that the two "princes" weren't there.

"Ryou!"

As if brought about by their curiosity, Bakura and Marik came running toward them. Kara ran over to Marik and pecked him on the cheek, and Ryou gave Bakura a slight hug.

"Ali, where have you been?" the white-haired innocent asked.

"Ryou, I need to talk to you," Bakura said in an undertone.

Ryou didn't seem to have heard him; instead he took Bakura's hand and led him more toward the edge of the balcony. "The whole kingdom has come to hear Father's announcement…they'll likely expect us to have a speech or something after him…"

"Ryou, wait-" Bakura started.

"…So now I introduce your future rulers…Ryou and Ali Bakura!"

Bakura went white as the crowd below cheered, feeling as if he had forgotten how to speak.

"Note to self," he muttered to himself, "I don't like crowds."

* * *

In a tower above, Seto Kaiba and Pegasus were watching the commotion from a small dark window.

"Look at them," Pegasus snorted, "_Cheering_ for that little piece of trash!"

"Let them cheer," replied Kaiba, "They think they're cheering for a Sultan…soon, though, they'll see the _true_ ruler of this kingdom…"

The Grand Vizier picked up the Millennium Puzzle by its long silver chain, and said simply, "Appear, Genie of the Millennium Puzzle."

Yami drifted like a trail of smoke out of the Millennium Puzzle, still looking very bad tempered.

"You know, Bakura, I would've thought you could fuck off for just a _few_ minutes and let me-"

He froze in mid-sentence as he turned around and came face-to-face with Kaiba.

"Oh…_shit_."

Kaiba smirked. "Hello, Genie. I am your master now…and I am ready to make my first wish…"

"And obviously it's something I won't like doing," moaned Yami, "Considering how unlikely it is that a tall, dark and ugly man could be doing anything _other_ than something sinister."

Kaiba crossed his arms exasperatedly. "Genie…I wish to be Sultan!"

Yami's eyes widened. "Oh…_double_ shit."

"Just _do_ it, you stupid asshole!" snapped Pegasus.

Yami glared at the parrot defiantly, even though his heart was aching at the knowledge he could do nothing to protect his friends and Yugi from Kaiba.

"…Your wish…is my command."

* * *

The crowd was still cheering when Bakura suddenly noticed that the normal bright sunlight seemed to be dimming like a overhead lamp: when he looked up, he saw that the sun was being blocked by a large, rounded mass of darkness that seemed.

"What the _hell_…?" Bakura muttered.

The citizens soon noticed also, but by then, the large bubble of Shadow Realm magic had encircled the entire city to cut it off from the rest of world.

Then, from out of nowhere, a Winged Dragon swooped in and landed on the balcony right next to Solomon, and its rider turned to face the group.

"_Yami_?" Bakura realized in shock.

Around Yami's wrists were heavy-set shackles, set with chains connecting him to the reins of the Duel Monster: he almost looked like a dog chained up in someone's backyard.

"Your Highness," Yami murmured as he looked at Solomon, "I'm sorry…but you're no longer Sultan."

The tricolor-haired Genie pointed a finger at Solomon, and his royal robes vanished, to be replaced with ruined peasant clothes. Then he pointed the same finger at someone who had just leapt off of a Spear Dragon and onto the balcony.

"_Kaiba_!" hissed Marik.

Kaiba's Grand Vizier robes likewise vanished to be replaced with a blue and white set of robes with broad gold shoulders, a thick gold collar and a golden ankh in the center of his chest, golden anklets and manacles, and a tall blue hat with a gold Egyptian snake resting on his forehead.

"Thank you, Genie," he whispered in Yami's direction, "And thank _you_, Prince Ali…without your carelessness, he never would've found his way into my possession."

Bakura and Marik gasped in horror as Kaiba dangled the Millennium Puzzle tauntingly by its chain.

"You _really_ should keep a tighter hold on your valuables," laughed Pegasus.

"In either case…" the once Grand Vizier and now Sultan said quietly, "I believe it's time to handle you two _myself_…after all, I shouldn't waste my wishes on you pathetic lowlifes."

"Don't talk about Ali like that, Kaiba!" Ryou stepped in front of Bakura, looking angry, "He's more honorable than _you_ ever will be! At least _he_ doesn't pretend to be something he isn't!"

Kaiba eyed Ryou, and his mouth curled up into an evil smirk. "_Oh_? You really think that your fiancé and his companion are so much _better_ than me, Ryou? Well…let me prove you _wrong_! Genie!" he snapped at Yami, "My second wish: I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world!"

Bakura felt himself be shoved over as Yugi flew over to Yami and tried to hold his hands back to stop them from casting a spell to grant Kaiba's wish.

"Yugi…" Yami whispered, "Please…let go of me."

Yugi shook himself back and forth as if he were shaking his head.

"Yami, you can't do this!" shouted Marik.

"I'm…sorry," Yami's eyes filled with tears, "He's…my master now…I have…no _choice_!"

Yami's manacled wrists were yanked against his will out of Yugi's grip; some red light flashed around Kaiba, and the Millennium Rod appeared, good as new, in his hand so that it was pointed directly at Bakura.

"Say hello to your precious Prince Ali _now_!" Kaiba mocked, as a gold shot of light hit Bakura in the chest and the thief felt himself being thrown to the ground.

"_Ali_!" yelled Ryou, running to him.

Bakura pulled himself up; when he did, he realized his black prince disguise was gone, and he was once more in his street rat attire, an oversized red robe and white pants.

"Or should we say _'Thief King Bakura?'_" added Pegasus impishly.

"Ali?" Ryou whispered, his eyes wide with confusion.

"Ryou, I…I tried to tell you earlier," Bakura whispered back, "Mariku and I are just-"

"Ah, I almost forgot about the other one," Kaiba commented coolly, "Takara, it's _your_ turn to see your lover for who he truly is!"

Marik was blasted too, and his prince outfit left with it to reveal his old lavender shirt and black pants.

"Mariku?" Kara looked as if she was pleading with herself that all of this was a horrible nightmare.

"Marik," the blond thief corrected softly, "Just Marik. Kara, I'm sorry, we didn't _want_ to lie-"

"_That_," Kaiba scorned, "Is beside the point. This Sultan finds you guilty of deception, traveling under false titles and annoying the hell out of me when I was trying to kill you two the first time. And for _this_, you shall be banished…to the ends of the earth!"

He snapped his fingers, and two more Spear Dragons swooped in and snatched Bakura and Marik in their claws before flying off through the darkness surrounding the city and into the distance.

"_Ali_!" screamed Ryou, "_ALI_!"

But he couldn't stop the dragons and convince them to bring back the two thieves.

Ryou felt his knees give way, and he fell to the floor, but his eyes never leaving the two tiny dragons disappearing into the distance.

Kara crawled over to join him, and the two royal heirs sat in a crumple on the floor, crying at the thought that they'd never see their true loves again.


	14. Chapter 13: Not Through Yet

_**Chapter 13: Not Through Yet**_

The two Spear Dragons carrying Bakura and Marik finally dropped their burdens in an endless wasteland of ice and snow, where to the west, you could see where the world ended.

Marik spat out a mouthful of snow and looked up as to yell a string of curse words at the retreating Dragons flying off into the distance.

Unlike his friend, Bakura didn't even try to get up from the ground. He merely stared down at the cold white snow next to his nose, looking as if he was at a funeral.

'_I should've freed Yami when I had the chance,'_ the white-haired thief thought, as the image of Yami chained up and crying as he granted Kaiba's second wish replayed in his mind, _'Then he'd be with Yugi and happy and Kaiba would never have been able to use him to take over the world…'_

"It's all my fault," Bakura whispered mostly to himself.

"There's blame to share, Bakura," Marik said in response to his statement, "Don't go beating yourself up…we've got to think of a way back to the palace!"

"What's the use?" asked Bakura hopelessly, "We're only thieves…what can _we_ do against a _sorcerer_?"

"We'll improvise, as we always have," replied Marik, "Kaiba may be a sorcerer, but that doesn't mean we can't beat him."

"But we don't have magic or anything to help us get back," sighed Bakura.

"We don't need no stinking _magic_," Marik told him, his eyes lighting up at the sight of something in the sky, "We got Yugi!"

Bakura's head jerked up and, true to Marik's words, there was the Magic Carpet flying toward them.

"_Yugi_!" Bakura smiled as he pulled himself off of the ground, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Yugi flew over to the albino and gave him a hug: then he gestured to the two to hurry up.

"I'm sorry, too, Yugi," Bakura replied, "Now c'mon, Marik…let's go save Ryou and your girlfriend, shall we?"

"We shall!" Marik grinned as he jumped onto Yugi with Bakura and they flew off into the east, back toward the palace.

* * *

"Ryou, bring me more wine," sneered Kaiba from his new throne adorned with Blue Eyes White Dragons, the Millennium Puzzle laying innocently on his left arm.

Ryou would've disobeyed were it not for the enchanted puppet strings controlling all of his movements: he lifted up the pitcher he was holding and poured it into Kaiba's goblet.

"Hey, Kaiba," Yami called in an icy tone, who was chained to the wall, "Mind bringing some rum along for me? I need a distraction from my _heartache_."

"Shut up, Genie," snapped Pegasus from his perch near the Genie, holding the keys in his claw, "We wouldn't get you it if we _had_ any, we got rid of it all."

"But…but…" Yami stammered in shock, "But why's the rum gone?"

"_SHUT UP_!" Pegasus whacked Yami painfully in the head with the ring of keys.

Kaiba drank his wine before turning to smirk at Ryou again. "More, _slave_."

Ryou felt his blood boil as he was forced to pour more wine into his glass. "I am _not_ a slave, and especially not one to _you_! You're just lucky I can't move on my own!"

"_Who's_ lucky in that?" inquired Kaiba, "With you as a puppet, you have a purpose…that's all that's keeping you from being sent to the Shadow Realm like your father and Princess Takara."

He held up two Duel Monster cards, one with an image of a terrified Solomon, the other with a crying Kara.

"I _swear_, Kaiba," Ryou snarled, "You _will_ regret what you did to them!"

"_Regret_? How can I?" Kaiba asked quietly, "For the first time in my life, I'll be able to do something _right_…"

Pegasus flew over, leaving the key to Yami's shackles just out of the Genie's reach on the perch, and landed on Kaiba's shoulder. "Are you going to start that ceremony yet or what?"

"I am," Kaiba replied.

A large, moldy-looking book appeared in the sorcerer's lap, and it opened by itself to a particular page.

"But I will need a sacrifice," Kaiba stated as his eyes scanned the page.

He looked at Ryou, before raising his Millennium Rod. It glowed, and a purple darkness started to surround Ryou…to consume him…

Then a golden light shone around the Prince, banishing the darkness away.

"The Millennium Ring is very protective of you," Kaiba murmured, "I see I'll need to find another way…"

Kaiba turned his back on the Prince, going over to Yami. "Genie, I wish for you to bring my little brother back from the dead."

Yami stood up shakily, his scarlet eyes expressionless. "Sorry, dude, I can't do that."

"What do you _mean_ you _can't_?" demanded Kaiba, his face going dangerously white, "I'm your master: I _command_ you!"

"There are certain things a Genie can't do," Yami replied in a quite mellow tone.

As he explicated the rules of his magic to the furious Kaiba, Ryou looked up toward the ceiling.

'_Oh please, Gods,'_ he made a silent prayer, _'Wherever Ali…I mean, Bakura is…let him and his friend be alright…and help him find a way back to me…'_

Then, to Ryou's shock, his eyes registered the sight of the two thieves sitting in one of the high windows of the palace, waving down at him.

He would've shouted out their names in joy and relief, but Bakura put his finger to his mouth to silence him and then gestured to the Millennium Puzzle on the arm of Kaiba's throne.

Ryou understood. _'Bakura wants to get the Puzzle away from Kaiba…but Kaiba's only away from it because he's so concerned about bringing his brother back from the dead…obviously, that's very important to him…more important than watching over the Puzzle, anyway…'_

The Prince smiled at Bakura significantly to tell him he had a plan.

"Kaiba," Ryou spoke suddenly in the sorcerer's direction, "If you want this brother of yours so badly, why don't you just sacrifice me to bring him back?"

Bakura was horrified: he would've yelled, _"No, Ryou, don't!"_ but Marik covered his mouth and shook his head fervently. Kaiba looked at Ryou in disbelief.

"What did you say?" he whispered.

"Why don't you sacrifice me?" Ryou repeated himself, "I can allow you to take control of me…that's how the Millennium Items work…only by will on both parts can a Millennium Item take control of another."

"Why would you do that?" asked Kaiba, his eyes narrowing.

"If you release my father and Kara from the Shadow Realm," said Ryou, "Then I'll help you bring your brother back."

Kaiba stared at Ryou as if he had never seen anything like him before. Ryou felt awful for using the sorcerer's feelings against him, but he told himself that once Bakura got the Puzzle back and his father and Kara were safe, he would help Kaiba get his brother back.

"Deal," Kaiba replied, unable to hide his true thankfulness.

He raised the Millennium Rod and pointed it in the Crown Prince's direction.

'_Please, Bakura, hurry,'_ was Ryou's last thought before his eyes went blank and his mind was taken over.

"Begin the ceremony," whispered Kaiba.

And that was the two thieves' signal to get to work.

They climbed down from the window and headed in opposite direction: while Marik went over to try and free Yami from his chains, Bakura snuck over toward the Puzzle.

Bakura dashed out of sight behind the Blue Eyes throne as Kaiba started to read the ancient incantation. Then, being careful not to make any noise as to make Kaiba turn around, his hand reached out to grab the Puzzle…

"_KAIBA_!" shrieked Pegasus, "THE PUZZLE-"

Yami had been freed from his chains in just enough time to shoot a shot of red magic in Pegasus's direction, but the parrot's yell had been enough to make Kaiba turn around.

The sorcerer's sapphire eyes narrowed in unadulterated rage.

"_YOU_!"

Bakura felt himself being slammed against the wall with a burst of blue magic; Ryou's eyes went back to normal and he fell to his knees, holding his head; Marik and Yami yelled, "_No_!"

"How many times to I have to kill you, thief?" roared Kaiba.

"_Ha_!" Bakura laughed like a dog bark, "Haven't you ever heard that a thief has nine lives?"

"Well, I'll just have to count down the rest of those lives!" Kaiba sneered, before shooting a whole ensemble of magic blasts trying to hit Bakura.

"_Leave him alone_!" Ryou screamed, pushing Kaiba so that his blasts were thrown away from Bakura and into the ceiling.

Kaiba whirled around to look at the Prince, his eyes widened insanely with vehemence.

"You know, you're almost as annoying as that thief," he hissed, "You've gotten in my way for the last time…it's time for you to be put in your place, you filthy little liar!"

"Kaiba, I was going to-" Ryou started, but Kaiba aimed his Millennium Rod in his direction and shot a blast of blue magic at him.

The Prince found himself trapped behind rounded glass walls, and a second later, he felt a line of sand drip onto his head from a hole in the ceiling.

He was trapped inside a large hourglass.

"_Ryou_!" shouted Bakura.

"Your time's running out, Thief Bakura," growled Kaiba, "Your and your Prince's end are near."


	15. Chapter 14: Kaiba's Final Wish

_**Chapter 14: Kaiba's Final Wish**_

After this, several things happened at once. Bakura had lunged at Kaiba and the two was now rolling around on the floor; sand began to pile on top of Ryou, who was pounding against the glass trying to get free; Marik had lunged to grab the Puzzle still resting on the arm of Kaiba's throne.

"_Oh no you don't_!" snarled Kaiba, pushing Bakura off him for just long enough to point his Millennium Rod at Marik.

Marik was blasted with blue magic, and where there once was a flesh-and-blood man, there now stood a gray stone statue.

"_Marik_!" yelled Bakura.

At the discovery that Marik had been turned to stone, Yugi soared past his now-motionless friend and snatched the Puzzle by its chain, ready to throw it to Bakura…

But yet another blast of blue magic hit the Magic Carpet, and he started to unravel, until he was merely a pile of multicolored thread and gold tassels on the floor.

"YUGI, _NO_!" Yami cried out in horror.

The Genie glided over to what had been his cursed lover. Bakura's temper flared and he ran to grab the Puzzle, but blue magic made an almost cage of swords jab the floor around the Millennium Item, and Kaiba reached down and picked up the Puzzle himself.

"Give it up, thief!" he mocked, a smirk forming on his face.

Bakura yanked one of the swords out of the floor and pointed it at the sorcerer. "You monster! You wouldn't _dare_ attack my friends if you didn't have all those little magic tricks!"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "A _monster_, am I? Perhaps you'd like to _see_ what kind of _monster_ you're dealing with!"

Blue smoke flew out of the Millennium Rod like smoke from a chimney and surrounded him, making an almost pillar shape, and a second later, a huge, blue and white dragon stood where Kaiba had once been.

"_The Blue Eyes White Dragon_," Yami whispered, eyes wide.

The dragon roared and white lightning shot from his mouth toward Bakura.

"BAKURA, WATCH OUT!" cried Ryou.

Bakura was barely able to jump out of the way before he was hit.

The thief had heard much about the legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon…no one had ever fought one and lived to tell the tale, but he knew, for Ryou, Marik, Yugi and Yami, he had to be the _first_.

The Blue Eyes White Dragon shot another blast of white lightning at him, and Bakura held his sword up in front of him. The white lightning hit the blade and bounced back toward the Dragon. An almost smokescreen covered the area and gave Bakura the distraction he needed to go save Ryou.

He ran toward his love still trapped in the giant hourglass: Ryou was up to his ribs in sand.

"Ryou, hang on!" Bakura called, raising his sword to prepare himself for slamming it into the glass…

But a giant blue and white claw snatched Bakura off the ground and made him drop his sword. The claw tightened around him, making him cry out in pain as they made long slits down his arms, before the smoke cleared and Bakura found himself face-to-face with the large blue eyes of the legendary White Dragon.

He could hear Kaiba laughing even though the Dragon's mouth wasn't moving. "You fool…did you _honestly_ think you could defeat the most powerful being on earth?"

"_Squeeze_ him, Kaiba!" squawked Pegasus with a twisted grin, "Squeeze him like a-_AWK_!"

Yami's hands had found the parrot's throat, and the Genie eyed him threateningly before shooting him with red magic out the window.

"Without the Genie, you're _nothing_," Kaiba hissed at Bakura, his dragon eyes narrowed, "You never had a _chance_ without _him_."

Bakura's dark eyes widened at the mention of Yami. He turned to look at the Genie, whose face was still stained with tears. Then he looked back at the dragon, and a smirk unfurled onto his face.

"And what if I _did_ have Yami?" the thief inquired, "You would've been afraid _then_, wouldn't you? Yami has more power than you'll _ever_ have…he _gave_ you your power…he could take it away!"

Yami was very confused. What the hell was Bakura _doing_? He _knew_ that the Millennium Items couldn't be used against each other without will on both sides…even _if_ Kaiba didn't know that the same rules applied for the Puzzle, that wouldn't _solve_ anything…

"Face it, Kaiba!" Bakura scorned, "You need to have control over Yami until the day you die if you want to keep your powers! You _need_ him, so you'll _never_ be the most powerful being on earth…you'll always be second best to Yami!"

Kaiba froze, his dragon eyes widening. "You're right…his power _does_ exceed my own…" his dragon smirk returned, "But not for _long_…"

The dragon turned its fiery blue eyes to Yami: the Genie trembled.

"Oh Kaiba, that kid doesn't know _what_ the hell he's talking about!" Yami asserted, "He's obviously _quite_ drunk…I've heard that there's a very strong brand of wine from the end of the world…why, just last year, 60 percent of car accidents ensured because of-"

Yami didn't get to finish, for the dragon's long tail had snatched him up and clenched tightly around him as Kaiba growled, "Genie, I make my third wish…I wish to be an all-powerful Genie!"

There was a silence. Ryou struggled to watch the action as sand started to rise above his chin. Yami closed his scarlet eyes, took a deep breath and then opened them slowly.

"Your wish…is my…command," he murmured in defeat.

He raised a hand and red magic shot at Kaiba. Red smoke now flew around Kaiba like a pillar, transforming the blue and white dragon into a blue genie.

"_Yes_…_YES_…!"

The power was likely similar to a huge rush of energy all mounting at once: the claw that had held Bakura and the tail that held Yami vanished, and Bakura scrambled to save Ryou, who had started to disappear under the sand in the hourglass.

He grabbed his sword and smashed the hourglass open, pulling the coughing Ryou out of the sand and holding him close.

"_What did you make me do_?" Yami demanded of Bakura, "Your _scare tactic_ just gave Kaiba the power to destroy the world!"

"_Trust_ me, Yami, I did it for a _reason_!" Bakura assured him.

Kaiba was laughing in triumph as the magic surrounded him and made him stronger and stronger still.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were _you_, Kaiba," the King of Thieves said with a smirk of triumph.

Kaiba turned to look at him in confusion.

"You want to be a Genie?" Bakura shrugged, "Go on ahead…but you have to deal with everything that goes _with_ it…_including_ being locked inside a item until someone releases you to grant their wishes."

Kaiba's eyes widened in horror as his powerful Genie self was suddenly sucked down into the Millennium Rod now laying on the floor, like a powerful vacuum.

"_No_…_NO_!"

He reached out, trying to grab onto something so he wouldn't be pulled inside, but it was no use. Blue smoke circled around him like a tornado, pulling him down, down, down…

Into the Millennium Rod and out of sight.

The Marik statue fell over as color flushed the stone and he became human once more. The colorful yarn and gold tassels on the floor swirled around before Yugi the Magic Carpet reappeared. The real Kara and Solomon replaced the two Kara and Solomon soul cards and blinked confusedly around at everyone.

Everything was back to normal.

Marik ran over to Kara and kissed her; Yugi flew to Yami and the two cuddled together in relief; Ryou opened his eyes, blinked and smiled up at Bakura.

"I _knew_ you would do it," he whispered.

Bakura smiled, but the smile faded quickly. "Ryou…how can you even _look_ at me? I _lied_ to you…and I'm not even a _prince_…I…I'm not _good_ enough for you."

"I love you," Ryou said desperately, "That's all that matters."

"But the _law_…" Bakura muttered, "We _can't_ be together, Ryou…"

"Well, _damn_ that stupid law!" Ryou tried to hold back a sob, "I _need_ you, Bakura! I don't _care_…I'll…I'll run _away_ again if I have to!"

Bakura's eyes filled with tears. "_Ryou_…"

A hand gripped Bakura's shoulder: the thief turned to look at Yami.

"Hey, no problem, man," the Genie tried to smile, "You've still got a wish left…just say the word and you're a prince again."

Bakura's eyes widened. "B-but Yami…what about you and Yugi?"

Yugi began writing on a pad Yami had obviously given him and then handed it to Ryou.

"'_Yami and I will be together no matter what happens, Bakura_,'" Ryou read, "_'But you need to be a prince in order to be with Ryou. It would be wrong of us to separate you from the one you love.'_"

Bakura's tears trickled down his cheeks as he looked at Yugi and Yami, Marik, and then at Ryou.

"Ryou…" he murmured, "I love you so much…but…these two have been separated for 5000_ years_…think about how many make-out sessions that is."

Ryou chuckled through his tears, then nodded in agreement.

Bakura looked back at Yami. "Yami…I wish for your freedom."

"A Prince Pedigree for two, coming up," Yami said like a cheerful waiter, before realizing what Bakura had said, "Wait…_what_?"

"Yami…you're free," explained Marik.

Yami's eyes widened: red smoke swirled around him like a pillar, before Yami was revealed once more…but he looked no different than he had before.

Yami stared at his hands, disbelieving: then he looked at Yugi. "Okay…the moment of truth…"

He raised a hand and concentrated, and red magic shot at the Carpet.

It was like watching a flower bloom. The Magic Carpet pulled itself into a roll, twirling around faster and faster as the red magic sparked around it like a display of fireworks. Finally the Carpet reopened, revealing someone hiding inside the roll: the rug vanished and the body fell to the ground.

Yami ran over in concern: he was going to put a hand on the person's shoulder, but before he could, the figure slowly pulled itself up, revealing spiky tricolor hair just like Yami's and wide violet eyes.

The two stared at each other for a moment: then Yami, as if trying to see if this was a dream, reached out to touch the young man's cheek.

"_Yami_…" the young man whispered, his voice horse as though he hadn't used it in years.

Yami couldn't take his eyes off him. At last he whispered, "_Yugi_…"

They embraced: Yami stood up and twirled Yugi around, laughing like a maniac, before finally putting him on the ground and kissing him all over his face: mouth, cheeks, forehead, everything. Yugi ran his fingers through Yami's hair as tears of joy ran down his face.

"Oh Aibou…Yugi…love," Yami mumbled almost incoherently, "I can't believe it, you're finally…_finally_…"

And at this most romantic moment, Bakura _had_ to feel himself being bowled over as the fangirls made their way toward Yami.

"_OW_!" shouted Yami, "GET _OFF_! _HEY_! GIRLS! THERE'S A-"

But before Yami could make an excuse to get the fangirls away, Yugi glared at the crowd with deadly fire in his eyes, before grabbing the Millennium Puzzle and whacking each of them on the head.

"GET…OFF…MY…BOYFRIEND…YOU…LOUSY…BITCHES!" the Carpet-turned-boy snapped one word for each girl he whacked, before the mob ran off in terror of Yugi's ferocity.

Yugi snorted and grabbed onto Yami possessively. "_Mine_."

Bakura, Yami and Marik burst out laughing.

When Yami finally stopped laughing, he kissed Yugi's cheek, and then looked at Bakura. "Bakura…now that I'm free…you _know_ you're not my master anymore…"

Bakura smiled. "Yeah. And I'm glad. You and Yugi deserve to go and live where you want. Just try and visit, okay?"

Yugi gave Bakura a huge hug. "Of _course_ we will…you'll _always_ be a prince to _us_, Bakura."

Solomon had been watching the scene for quite a while, and took this moment to speak up.

"Ahem…well…I _did_ mean what I said about you," he said to Bakura, "You're a _very_ impressive youth…you certainly have proved yourself worthy about ten times over…"

Ryou looked at his father in shock. "_Father_…are you saying what I _think_ you're saying?"

Solomon smiled at his son. "The law _is_ the only _problem_…and am I Sultan or not? From this day forth, the prince may marry _whomever_ he deems _worthy_."

Ryou's face broke into a smile, and he raced into Bakura's arms. "_Him_! I choose…"

He looked up at Bakura, his eyes shining. "I choose _you_, Bakura."

Bakura smiled. "Yeah…I know."

And he captured Ryou's lips in a searing kiss.

"_Aw_, that's _sweet_," Yami grinned, "Well, Yugi…I think it's time for our departure…"

A Winged Dragon appeared, and Yugi and Yami climbed on it.

"Sayonara, everyone!" said Yugi, before the Dragon flapped its wings and the two flew off into the distance.

The group waved goodbye to their friends: then Ryou picked up the Millennium Rod and looked at it sadly.

"_Kaiba_…" he murmured, "He only _really_ did all that for his _brother_…I feel really _sorry_ for him."

Bakura put a hand on his fiancé's shoulder. "Don't worry…we'll find a way to bring his brother back, and then we'll free Kaiba."

"We will?" asked Ryou hopefully.

"I promise," Bakura replied, kissing his cheek.

Ryou smiled at Bakura and looked out again at the Winged Dragon carrying Yugi and Yami into the distance.

"**_A whole new world…"_** he sang quietly.

"**_A whole new life…"_** Bakura sang in reply, before the two voices joined to sing,

"_**For you and me…"**_


	16. Finishing Notes

_**Author's Final Notes:**_

_(A.K.A. MADE YOU LOOK!)_

Kitty: …The End…at _last_. (faints)

Yami: That was _awesome_!

Yugi: Even though I had to kiss my _Yami…_

Bakura: …and even though _I_ had to kiss my weakling Hikari.

Ryou: (glares at Bakura) Believe me, you're not _my _first choice of people to kiss _either_.

Kitty: (magically wakes up) _AHEM_. Anyway… (types on her computer this letter to you…)

* * *

I'm so grateful for all of the people who read, reviewed, faved and communitied this story. This is probably going to be my last shonen-ai fic, but who knows? I might change my mind someday, when I'm less busy and stressed. Now…let me take a moment to thank the long list of kind people who sent me reviews, authors and anonymous: 

**_eternityx_**

**_SGCred_**

**_ANAYAS-CREATER_**

**_Kitsune-Kurama-Rose_**

**_egyptiankitty (Engie)_**

**_Corvin_**

**_Silver & Set_**

**_Necropolis Demon_**

**_Angelina Grace_**

**_Rinku Shinomori _**

**_Saffron-Starlight_**

**_Rainbow Guardian Angel_**

**_firezone12_**

**_Demonchildssister_**

**_Sami Ryou's Hikari_**

**_marikrazy_**

**_Happiness's Deceit_**

**_DeathXStar_**

**_Jazhira_**

**_DemonicMistress Kree-kun_**

**_Lil-Riter_**

**_Ryou VeRua_**

**_reesescupprincess_**

**_SilverMane1_**

**_Anaiko Saki_**

**_Dodo-chan_**

**_Desert Thief_**

**_DF_**

**_Kikyo's Killer_**

**_Ryou Lover 4325_**

**_Gantaeno _**

**_Sand dancer_**

**_Eyes-of-Crimson_**

**_silver fox a.k.a. vash_**

**_charmedfun_**

**_Fl00fy_**

**_I am a Catlover_**

**_Nyami Rose_**

**_xxOne Winged Thiefxx_**

**_XxSexiItxX_**

**_Ranma Higurashi_**

This fic was so popular compared to my previous shonen-ai fics and, indeed, to most of my other fics, so, again, all I can say is thank you _so _much…I'm glad everyone enjoyed it.

Much Love,

_**Kitty**_


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